


Eidolon Whispers

by EuKnowWho



Series: The House of Shimada [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Anal, Angst, Assorted Overwatch Cast - Freeform, Genji is a Little Shit, I cannot emphasise how much of a shit Genji is, Mild Torture of Bad Guys, Multi, Sexytimes, relationship between brothers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2018-08-13 14:11:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 36,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7979572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EuKnowWho/pseuds/EuKnowWho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Shimada brothers are like ghosts to each other, separated by a gulf ten years wide. Genji wants to breach this gulf, but first he has to contend with the discovery of the green eyed monster within himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Green Eyed Monster

Genji crouched in the rafters of the training room. He watched as his brother practiced down below, sending arrow after arrow first into stationary targets then later into practice droids. He didn’t have the words to express his pleasure that Hanzo was here, that  he had chosen to be here.

There were still in roads to be made, progress to achieve...but they had time. For now, he could pretend that Hanzo hadn’t noticed him on his high perch, pretend like they were boys again when he hid in the trees and watched as his brother practice. He watched as Hanzo collected his arrows at the end of the session, watched as Hanzo moved to pause at the door, his hand on the control panel. Then laughed softly as his brother left the room leaving the lights still on.

*

They haunted each other, Genji and his brother. They trailed each other across Watchpoint: Gibraltar. Genji was certain he was only aware of his brother half the time, and that there were more times when Hanzo had noticed him than the other way around. They maintained the polite fiction that none of this was happening. It wasn’t a game of one-upmanship. It was...testing the waters. Testing the boundaries of their new relationship.

Genji briefly reflected on the foolishness of two grown men who are unable to initiate a civilised conversation without first resorting to childish games.

That is, by themselves. In company, they maintain civility and even at times find themselves laughing over a shared joke.

It was still difficult. Hanzo had  armoured himself against the crime of Genji’s murder. It was now a dance of one step forward and two steps back with his brother. Every time Genji felt that progress was made, he would meet Hanzo the next day and his brother’s walls would be up again. He wished that Hanzo had someone to talk to like he did. Genji had Zenyatta, Angela and McCree at times. Genji wasn’t sure that Hanzo had other friends. He could see that McCree was making some headway, but there it was a slow thing. His brother was never comfortable with meeting new people.

Of all the things to have stayed the same, that was one of the few that he wished was different with his brother.

Genji would have maintained his misconception that his brother was alone and friendless in the world for a long time until he came across Hanzo talking on his phone late one night. At first he thought that his brother was conducting business, but as the conversation went on, he felt a sense of shame that he assumed that Hanzo was friendless. His curiosity about Hanzo’s friend won over the need to give his brother his privacy.

Hanzo had sequestered himself over the cliffs looking over the Alboran Sea, technically not far from base...unless you flew or could climb like a goat. He had found a shallow crack in the rock that sheltered him from the coastal wind but the combination of the slight echo of his conversation, the gentle crash of waves on the rocks below mask Genji’s barely there footsteps. It was Hanzo’s voice that paused his steps at the top of the cliff and he bent his knee to listen.

At first Hanzo and his correspondent conversed in French. This was a surprise to Genji. He was not aware that his brother even studied the language as a child. He soon realised that Hanzo was learning the language now. The voice on the phone spoke with what seemed to Genji’s ears to be native speed and pronunciation and while Hanzo's replies were slower, his pronunciation was confident.

 _“Bien! Bien! Je peux voir l'amélioration,”_ the voice on the phone finally said. The speaker was male, young and spoke in an even tenor. “We will teach you to speak like a Parisian yet. But let’s not torture ourselves further with language lessons. How goes legitimate employment?” The accent was interesting. Genji could hear mixed American and British vowels in that voice with a North American inflection, not French at all like he originally supposed.

Hanzo grunted. “It goes.” A pause where Genji can hear him drinking from a flask. “And you?”

 _"Mon Dieu_ , Sensei.” Sensei? Now Genji was intrigued. “I’m surrounded by idealistic fools. I’m not sure how much longer I can take it,” the stranger laments, voice slightly tiny over the speaker. “I was close to throwing my handgun at my supervisor’s head this morning, the daft things he said.” A chink of glass as the stranger sipped in turn. “His attack dog would have torn my arm at the shoulder but it would have been worth it.”

Then Genji is treated to something rare. Hanzo’s laugh. It was warm, mirthful and deep. It wasn’t like the brief chuckles that he encountered. Genji wasn’t sure how to feel that this stranger has the ability to talk with ease with his brother, an ease that he finds he now coverts.

“Adrian, if I didn’t recognise you or your methods better, I would say that we working for the same organisation.”

A grunt from Adrian’s end. “Would that be the case, Sensei. It would be an honour and a pleasure to work beside you again.”

An almost wistful note in Hanzo’s voice made Genji blink behind his visor. “Perhaps I can put out feelers with the team after your contract ends?”

“I’d like that. Yes, I’d like that a lot. I’d be working with idealistic fools again but at least you’d be there to balance them out.”

“And perhaps I wouldn't have to drink by myself.” A self-conscious silence followed.

“Hanzo-san, are you sitting in a high place and drinking in the dark?”

The sound of Hanzo drinking from his flask was his only answer.

A long silence followed this. Again there was a chink of glass and ice then Adrian spoke again. “Indulge me, Sensei. Let us do an exercise. A mental exercise.”

“Indeed?” Warm amusement flooded that single skeptical word.

“Yes. I need you to sit up, put your flask down. I need you to close your eyes. Are your eyes closed, Sensei?” Hanzo huffed an affirmative. “Good, good. I want you to imagine that I’m there. I’m dressed as I am now. A light grey suit, pale pink shirt. It’s slightly rumpled, do forgive me. I have silver cufflinks, and a navy tie and pocket square, the former stripped and the latter with spots, also pale pink. My shoes are brown. Can you visualise this?”

Hanso grunted. “I would be a poor friend if I cannot see you in this foppish outfit.”

“Excellent. Now, I need you to imagine that I am standing up, slowly. I am brushing myself off. And this is important. Pay attention. Now I am raising my foot and _I am kicking you off your goddamn high perch_.”

Hanzo answered with a startled bark of laughter. Genji barely bit back his own snort of amusement.

“And after that I’m stealing your flask.”

Hanzo laughed again.

“I am serious, Sensei. Go drink some water. Go find your bed. In the morning find your brother and talk with him. Don’t take offence at anything he says. I will bet you my favourite rifle that this is as hard for him as it is for you. Find that McCree chap you mentioned before, and I don’t know, he sounds Scottish but friendly. Give him a haggis or some such like. I’ll send one over if you can’t find any where you’re at.”

From the sound of it, Hanzo was now doubled over, convulsing with involuntary laughter. “No, no,” he gasped. “McCree is a cowboy. Not Scottish.”

A stunned silence. “Say again, Sensei. I’m not sure I caught that.”

Hanzo took a deep, steadying breath to control his laughter. “McCree-san is a cowboy. Hat, spurs, boots and revolver.”

“My god.” Adrian was so amazed that he abandoned French. “I must meet this man. He sounds like a relic. Does he...does he appear in visions when you light a candle to a picture of Clint Eastwood?”

Another bark of laughter. “McCree-san is a cowboy, not a saint.”

“I disagree. He must be a saint if he wants to make friends with my honourable sensei.”

Hanzo snorted. “Nonsense.”

“But you will sleep in a bed tonight, won’t you? At the very least. Please.”

The sound of liquid sloshing in a flask was carried up over the cliff edge. “Yes...I think I will do that.”

 _“Bien. Bien.”_ A pause. “Sensei...I know things are tough, but I promise you, they will get easier.”

A heavy sigh from Hanzo. “You are being very wise tonight, Adrian.”

A chuckle. “Hardly. I’m tired. I just pulled a thirty hour shift. I’m sloshed, three sheets to the wind, and my filters are so eroded that I’m talking with impudence to my sensei. However I may still go clubbing tonight. I feel like violence.”

Hanzo made a thoughtful murmur. “A reputable club?”

“Not in the least! I’ll tell you about my adventures in the world of less than legal fight clubs another time.”

“Adrian.”

“Look at the time, must dash, good night!”

“Adri-” Hanzo bit off the word, laughing softly as his student ended the call. After a while, he picked himself up and made his careful way back to base.

Still unnoticed, Genji leaned back on his hands, his face turned to the night sky, thinking on what he heard tonight.

*

Hanzo didn’t talk to him in the morning, but that was only because he only emerged from his room at lunchtime. He looked seedy, but better than what he would have looked or felt if he had spent the rest of the night drinking. Genji found himself grudgingly approving of Hanzo’s student and the influence he had over Genji’’s estranged brother.

The short conversation happened in the common room and it went well. Genji paid attention to words that would not anger his brother and Hanzo, despite his hangover, was making an effort to not be offended at anything.

There was a pile of sandwiches in the kitchen with a handwritten “help yourselves” sign beside the platter. Genji had been there when Soldier 76 took it on himself to make a large batch for lunch. They were all BLTs, the bacon was the much more locally accessible meatier shortcut bacon rather than the crispy streaky sort favoured by Americans. Genji endured Jack’s grousing complaints with amusement. He hung around the kitchen cum common room and was rewarded with Hanzo appeared a little after midday. The common room wasn’t actually that crowded. Few people felt the need to linger when sandwiches were so portable and could be taken to their workbenches.

Hanzo helped himself to one, eating neatly as he talked with Genji over small particulars of their last mission. It was a decidedly neutral subject but Genji was glad when, after a swallow of tea, Hanzo invited critique over his own performance on the field. McCree came into the common room as Genji was in the middle of his explanation. Sandwich in hand, he sat beside Hanzo, only half listening to Genji as he stared into the mid-distance. He actually looked much worse for wear than Hanzo. Genji chose to be polite and not mention this. He was instead amused at his brother and friend sitting side by side and both looking like they’ve had better nights, and still a contrast of manners and personality...especially in their eating habits. Where Hanzo was taking as small bites as possible, Jesse seemed to be mindless as he took huge chomps. Hanzo was trying to pay attention where Jesse was just too out of it to do more than be vertical and eat. At some point, Genji finished delivering his critique and accepted Hanzo’s curt nod that he had listened. He turned to the cowboy.

“McCree,” said Hanzo.

Jesse grunted, an acknowledgement that yes, he was McCree.

Hanzo took this as encouragement. It was in his eyes, Genji noted. He was nervous. “We should spend sometime in the training room together.”

Jesse made another sound of acknowledgment. Then stopped as his forebrain caught up with the conversation. He tried to force out an answer, clearly eager to accept Hanzo’s offer, but there was still a mouthful of bread, bacon and assorted vegetable mass in the way. Rather than spit out the offending mouthful, he swallowed instead.

And gagged and choked.

Hanzo looked alarmed as he pounded on McCree’s back, then disgusted as sandwich matter was sprayed across the table.

Genji regretted that he hadn’t been using his visor to record this spectacle.

“Oh god, fuck. Hanzo. Genji. Fuck. I’m sorry.” McCree scrambled up for papertowels, then tripped over his own feet, fell, and cracked his chin on his chair.

“McCree-san, why are you like this?”

Genji circled the table and helped Hanzo lift McCree to his feet. Together the brothers escorted the cowboy to Angela’s tender mercies where Jesse accepted Hanzo’s offer to train together with all the solemnity of a marriage proposal.

Yes. Genji approved of Adrian, but he couldn’t shake the small seed of jealousy that had taken place in his heart. Yet as the week passed, there seemed little headway with his brother. They had plateaued with their limit of polite conversation. Any attempt by Genji to talk about their shared childhood was politely, but firmly, rebuffed. Any attempt to get Hanzo to open about his activities of the past ten years was met with a wall. And yet, Genji was grateful that despite Hanzo’s reluctance to discuss his past, he still sought out Genji for light conversation or just his company. They sat as they did now, on the roof of the Watchpoint communication tower, a tea set and flask of hot water between them, and watched the ships pass them on their way out of the Mediterranean.  

Genji enjoyed the wind on his face, his visor dangling from his fingers. His eyes were closed but he knew that Hanzo was stealing looks at his scarred features. He could imagine what feelings his brother held under tight rein when he saw Genji’s face, and he hurt for Hanzo. Zenyatta, his own master, counselled patience when he brought up the subject of his brother.

“You have made the first move, my student. In confronting your brother in Shimada Castle, you have forced him to look not only at you, but at himself. However, he has not yet accepted you as his brother reborn. How can he when it is clear that he still mourns you. He has not yet completed his cycle of grief. Only when he has done that, can he begin to heal.”

When put that way, Genji was more than willing to give Hanzo all the time he needed.

*

The mech staggered back from Reinhardt’s hammer blow. Its eight legs wobbled, but it was not yet down. Genji moved in, flanking the mech from the side. His sword in hand, he leapt up, nimbly dodging the one working turret on the omnic’s back. Ducking and weaving, he avoided the spray of bullets but could only get close enough when the turret’s targeting camera suddenly sported an arrow in the middle of it’s glass eye. Moving quickly, Genji destroyed now wildly shooting turret with an upward cut that split the gun in half. It sagged in two pieces, still connected by the turret’s base support. That made things easier for Mei to freeze the giant warmachine before Reinhardt crushed it with one final blow.

Genji had already jumped off. He landed in a roll and was already racing to catch up with Hanzo. For a moment it was as if they were in their youth again, a pair of young brothers chasing the wind. Only this time the wind was a bomber on foot and this was no game. Genji quickly outpaced Hanzo as the latter stopped to scale a van to gain the higher ground. The bomber was a hundred meters from the subway tunnel. Genji was faster, he could reach the bomber before he created more destruction. His hand was around the hilt of his wakizashi, ready to use it. Ahead, the bomber stumbled and fell. He scrambled up to his feet and held something in his hand.

“D-don’t move! I-I’ll press it!” The voice was surprisingly shrill and the words cracked. Genji halted, crouching low. He was close enough to see that the bomber was a child. The round face was pale, the eyes were red and tears streaked down the young face. The vest of explosives swallowed the small torso.

 _“Genji, what is it? Why have you stopped?”_ It was Hanzo’s voice in his earpiece.

“The bomber, it is a child. He has threatened to detonate his bombs if I move.”

It was an open comm. Mei gasped and Reinhardt swore loudly.

_“Keep him occupied. I’ll flank him from the side.”_

_“Shimada-san, be careful!”_

Genji straightened up, dropping his hand from his wakizashi. “You do not want to do that, little one.”

“I do! The world needs to k-know!”

Genji tsked. “What is so important that you need to die for? Your mother will miss you, little one.”

“I don’t have a mother!”

“Then your father. Or your sister. Or your brother.” The little face blinked rapidly. “There will be someone who will miss you. There will be someone who will no longer have you in their lives.”

The boy dragged his sleeve across his face. “What do you know? You’re just an omnic!”

Those words would have stung, once. Instead Genji shook his head. “Even omnics have people who care for them. What is your name, little one.”

The boy shook his head sadly. He sniffed once. “I don’t have anyone.” His thumb moved against the detonator.

Hanzo sped up from the alley.

Time slowed.

He called out his brother’s name. There were questions coming over the comm. He tried to move but his synth-muscles had turned to lead. Hanzo was too slow. He was too slow.

Genji was going to lose his brother again.

His breath caught in his throat.

Hanzo was too slow.

“Nii-san!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't undertake the insertion of an original character lightly, especially one as close to Hanzo as Adrian is. Naturally I disagree with the idea that Hanzo spent the decade between Genji's apparent death and joining Overwatch alone and friendless, so I'll be expanding on their history as chapters get added. 
> 
> Also, I make no apologies for this cheap cliffhanger ;)


	2. Brother where art thou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “That sort of self sacrificing action would have been something I would have expected from Jesse or Jack. Nii-san, what are you trying to prove?”
> 
> The dim ambient light from the base around them could not hide Hanzo’s downward mouth. “Not...something that you would expect from me,” he repeated softly. “I have become a coward to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who are enjoying this little romp :)
> 
> Warning: This chapter contains angst and bad jokes.

“Nii-san. I almost lost you.” 

They returned back to base in the wee hours of the morning. There were murmurs of shower and bed from their teammates. They hadn’t stayed long after handing the young bomber over to the local authorities. The Numbani police were willing to look the other way regarding Overwatch’s presence and their technical illegal status. 

Angela was subdued on the flight home. She was used to violence, but the mastermind behind the attempted bombing remained at large and she worried about the use of children as a tool.

“If he has the control of one child, who is to say that he does not have more children to influence.” 

Mei, sweet Mei, was also affected. She sat beside Hanzo, taking comfort in his presence. “What monster uses children like that?” 

Genji noticed that Hanzo had a strange look on his face, as if he had thought of something, but he said nothing as he awkwardly patted Mei’s hand. She looked up at him. “Shimada-san, thank you for being brave and saving that little boy.”

He shook his head. “It was not bravery. I would have also saved us a great deal of upset if I had maintained my position behind Genji.”

Mei tilted her head. “But how?” 

“Ah.” Genji sighed. “Onii-san means he would have shot him.”

“What?”

“Though the arm,” Hanzo was quick to assure her. Mei still looked doubtful, as did Angela.

“Or the hand,” supplied Genji, trying to be helpful. Horrified looks were sent his way. 

“Nevertheless!” Reinhardt boomed, the real hero of the day. “The day was saved thanks to your quick thinking! Well done, Herr Shimada.” 

Hanzo bowed slightly in his seat. 

That was then. This was now, not half an hour after they landed in the Gibraltar Watchpoint. They were on the roof, just the two of them. The coastal wind was chilly in the early morning, and Hanzo had brought his arm through the dangling sleeve of his kyudo-gi for warmth. Genji knew that the thick silk of the gi would trap enough heat for comfort. 

“Nii-san.” 

Hanzo sighed and shook his head. “I did what had to be done.” 

Genji twisted his mouth downwards. Hanzo was already raising his walls. “Hanzo, why.”

“You of all people are asking why I would risk my life?” 

“Yes. I know that this, all of this,” Genji gestured at the compound around them. “It does not come naturally for you. I almost lost you and I want to know  _ why.” _ He could still see in his head how in the last microsecond Hanzo had tackled the young bomber to the ground and wrest the detonator from that small hand. Genji shook his head. “That sort of self sacrificing action would have been something I would have expected from Jesse or Jack. Nii-san, what are you trying to prove?” 

The dim ambient light from the base around them could not hide Hanzo’s downward mouth. “Not...something that you would expect from me,” he repeated softly. “I have become a coward to you.”

“Nii-san, no. That was not my meaning.” Genj reached his hand out, but Hanzo had already turned his body away, his hands clenched into fists in his lap. Not to be deterred, Genji stretched and curled his hand into his brother’s arm and tugged. Hanzo found himself pulled off balance and into Genji’s arms. The cyborg wrapped his arms around his brother’s stiff body, pressing his head against Hanzo’s neck. “I almost lost you, brother,” he whispered. “I have just found you. I cannot lose you again.” 

Hanzo’s body remained stiff against his. He pulled away from Genji’s arms and stood. “It would be better if you lacked a brother than have one you were ashamed of.” Genji could only watch as Hanzo disappeared into the building below, his limbs too leaden to do more than lift his hand towards him. 

*

Genji didn’t expect to see Hanzo at the post-mission briefing the next morning. He wasn’t in his room when Genji had went to look for him, and quiet enquiries among the team hadn’t brought any promising results. Eleven hundred came by and there he was, in the back of the briefing room. His arms were crossed and he stared ahead, face impassive. He didn’t look at Genji. Angela briefed Winston on the mission. She had already summarised the fight with the giant turret mech and was rudely interrupted by Reinhardt when she moved to the encounter with the bomber boy.

“And nothing more needs to be said! Herr Shimada saved the day!” 

Winston sighed, adjusting his glasses. “Yes. The whole world saw.” He gestured to screen behind him. A drone captured video of Hanzo tackling the bomber played on cue. “I believe that we can thank the Numbani authorities for preserving our anonymity. However, it cannot be helped. Thank you, Hanzo, it was good work. And that goes for all of you.” Hanzo bowed slightly. Winston then went on to other matters and when Genji looked at Hanzo’s direction again, he was gone.

Genji tried to contain his pressing need to chase after his brother and near ran out of the room as soon as Winston called the briefing to a close. He was sure the others were giving him strange looks. He ran through the base to dormitories and stopped at Hanzo’s door. He raised his hand to knock when a whisper of a conversation could be heard through the door. Genji leaned in, his enhanced hearing picking up separate voices easily. He was about to step back, give Hanzo his privacy when he heard him say that name he was growing to hate, “Adrian.” 

Without thinking about it, Genji slipped into the unoccupied room beside Hanzo’s and pressed his ear to the wall.

“...that in summary was my night.” A heavy sigh. “Adrian-san, tell me that you have good news for me. Anything.”

“Hmmm...Oh I have plenty of good news. Listen to this.  _ ‘Valiant quick witted cosplaying bystander saves subway.’ _ ”

“...Adrian-san, no.”

“I  _ like _ this one.  _ ‘Day saved by anonymous stripper!’ _ ”

“Adrian, stop.”

_ “Bomb defused by busty bombshell.” _ The sound of paper being snipped with sharp scissors carried through the walls. “I think that was my favourite. I’m printing these out and filling a scrapbook just for you.”

Hanzo sounded like he was caught between a sob and a laugh. 

“I even picked up some cute little bow and arrow decals. This really brings me back to craft afternoons with Mother. And oh. She called. She asked after you, no reason. She did hope you were well. She was also concerned that your face was all over the news, and frankly, as am I.” 

Silence from Hanzo’s end.

“...Sensei?”

“I...am upset.”

“Well, you don’t need to be. This isn’t the first time Mother has seen your bare chest. Remember that time in Paris when she stopped for tea? Didn’t she get an eyeful.”

Hanzo again made that sound that was partway between despair and hysteria. 

“Something’s happened.”

“Yes. Genji and I had words. He...thinks that I am a coward.”

“Hn. That’s unfortunate. We both know that’s not true.”

“No. We both do not.”

“With all due respect, Sensei, you are one of the most courageous men I know. I don’t know what Genji-san said or why you think that, and frankly, I don’t care. So what if Genji-san thinks you’re a coward. Prove him wrong. Make him eat his words. Triumph over the the mountain of skulls and scream your manly victory cry.”

“The mountain of what? My manly victory cry?”

“Nevermind. It’s a movie reference. The point is...he doesn’t know you. I don’t think you know him either. So...get to know each other again.”

“Adrian. When you reject gifts from heaven, you will be rewarded in hell.” Genji tried not to sigh at the proverb. “I have done many shameful things…To my brother. To others. What if Genji...”

“As have I,” Adrian said, firmly. “You know what I’ve done. Mother still loves me. In her way, of course. You are not repulsed by me. It’s family, Sensei. From what I see, families try to make it work. And while I say that, I also need to beg that you don’t mention my father.” 

“I was not going to, Adrian-san.” Finally, a huff of a true laugh. Genji was not the only one relieved to hear that. Adrian sighed softly. Then a moment of silence. “And...have I, Adrian? Have I done anything to repulse  _ you _ ?”

“Yes. You did La Maestra.” Without hesitation.

A choked laugh. “That is below the belt, Adrian.”

“So was she when I stumbled on the two of you.” Genji bit his tongue, trying not to laugh. “In all seriousness, Sensei. The woman was an incompetent. She couldn’t even find your kidneys when she literally stabbed you in the back.”

“Technically...she stabbed me in the sides.”

_ “J'en ai plus rien à foutre!” _

Hanzo laughed. It was a laugh that was heavy with his current upset, but it was still a good laugh, if soft. “Not my best moment, I’m afraid.” 

“ _ Eh bien.  _ We’ve all be led around by the heart.” 

“Hmm...wait. You said ‘was’.” Behind the wall, Genji tilted his head.

“What an interesting word I chose.”

“Adrian.”

“Whatever did happen to that awful ex-boyfriend of mine. I cannot for the life of me recall his name but I think you know the one.”

“... _ Touché. _ ” 

“Indeed. And, Sensei, remember that we have done good things too. I know that they meld with the bad, but...remember Burma?”

A heavy sigh from Hanzo before one firm and strong, “Yes.”

“Good. Remember that from pain and blood that we delivered good. Remember that. Take pride what we did, in the lives we saved, and in the vileness that we destroyed. Hold that in your heart when next you speak with Genji-san.”

“Yes. I will.” His brother was the most confident that Genji had heard him in a long time. 

Adrian made a satisfied noise. “That’s the brave sensei that I know.” His tone changed to something lighter in the next heartbeat. “I need to sign off soon, but before I do, Sensei, I must say, I can’t even begin to calculate how your jaunt in the media spotlight has diminished your market value. Good thing you’ve got legitimate work, hmm? Trying to find professional freelance in this climate would be difficult.” 

“Heh. Yes. It was careless of me to get my image captured.”

" _ C'est la vie _ . But this should make you laugh. There’s some online chatter that you’re part of Overwatch. Do you believe that? God, what a ridiculous rumour. Good thing I know you.” Genji clenched hand into a fist, not surprised by his sudden spike of irritation at those five words.

Hanzo chuckled but said nothing. 

“Get some rest, Hanzo-san. Tomorrow’s a new day.”

“Yes. I will. Thank you for listening, Adrian.” 

“The least I can do, Sensei. Good night.”

The call ended and Genji could hear Hanzo move around in his room before settling. Genji leaned against the wall, trouble in his heart. He needed to talk to someone.

He tried to meditate on this when he later sat with Zenyatta. Legs crossed, he closed his eyes. He let his mind go blank, to let the cosmos flow through his thoughts. He fidgeted, shifting to get comfortable. Then his nose itched. Genji wrinkled it, trying to relieve the sensation. It eased, and he closed his eyes, ready to immerse himself once more in tranquility.

Then he sneezed.

Zenyatta had been a saint throughout his restlessness as he waited patiently for Genji. Then one electronic sigh as Genji removed his visor to wipe it clean. “What troubles you, my student.”

Genji left his mask off, twisting it in his hands. He rested his elbows on his knees. “Master, I don’t know where to start, and please don’t say ‘from the beginning.’”

The omnic monk chuckled. “Then start with the first thing that comes to your mind.”

“I hate my brother’s student.” The words were out. Genji cringed inwardly.

Zenyatta made an inquiring sound. “Please, tell me more about Hanzo’s student. How did you meet this person?”

Genji shook his head. “I haven’t met him. I...overheard Hanzo speaking to him on the phone. Then I stayed and eavesdropped on their conversation.” More inward cringing.

“Ah.” That one syllable spoke volumes. “Continue. Why do you hate him? Is he a terrible person?”

Genji hung his head. “He’s funny. He makes Hanzo laugh. He is closer to my brother in a way that we have never been since we were children.”

“Is it hatred or jealousy, my student.” 

Genji shrugged. “I am conflicted, Master. I am glad that Hanzo has such a friend.”

“But you wish that friend was you.”

A heavy sigh from the cyborg. “Yes.” Genji abandoned his lotus position to flop on his back. “I envy the ease Adrian speaks with Hanzo. I envy how easily Hanzo confides in Adrian. I hate that I find Adrian funny and interesting. I hate how he is much more interesting and funny that I am.  I am grateful to him for being Hanzo’s friend.” He bent his arms behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. “And I hate how hating Adrian makes me sound like spoilt child...that kind of child that has a toy that he hadn’t been playing with taken away and given to another child.”

Zenyatta chuckled. “Tell me, my student. Would you feel so strongly if Hanzo had grown so close to someone you know instead? I have noticed that you have been encouraging his friendship with McCree.”

Genji continued staring at the ceiling, letting his eyes follow the patterns and cracks in the metal. Long disuse had encouraged the elements to take their toll on the base, and water had seeped in from outside. Rust stains made trails on the ceiling and walls. The base could do with an upgrade or a makeover. Feeding and housing the crew was not a problem, but anything beyond the necessities of life (which included medical, ammunition, weapons and tech) was currently beyond Winston’s ability to budget for, especially considering Overwatch’s current illegal status.

“No,” he said finally, his tone thoughtful. “I would not. I celebrate any friendship that Hanzo would make on base, and that includes Jesse.”

“What does that tell you, my student?”

Genji poked his tongue into his cheek. “Geographically, I am included in relationships on base, but I am excluded in the relationship that Hanzo has with his student.” 

Zenyatta made a pleased hum. “Perhaps, too, your brother feels isolated in the master and student relationship that you have with me. It is a special bond, one that I am glad that Hanzo has the privilege to experience.”

Genji stared at the ceiling. “I had never thought that Hanzo would feel that way.”

The omnic monk nodded. “I have seen this before with my brothers and sisters, their students and their family.”

Genji mulishly bit his lip. “Hanzo does not teach the same things that you do, Master.”

A chuckle. “I do not suppose not, but you are more familiar with their relationship than I. How would you say they are to each other.”

The cyborg thought back on the two phone conversations he had listened in on. “Respectful. They are respectful to each other. Fond, trusting. Protective. They have killed for each other.”

“Oh?”

“I think Adrian implied that he killed a woman because she tried to kill Hanzo after seducing him...and that he knew that Hanzo had done the same to a man who broke Adrian’s heart.”

“That is extreme, yes, but their devotion is to be commended.”

“This Adrian...he’s  _ proud _ of Hanzo. He’s proud of my brother the assassin. What sort of person would be proud of knowing an assassin.”

Zenyatta turned his head to study Genji. He tried not the squirm under his master’s gaze. “Another assassin perhaps. You are ashamed of what your brother has become.”

Genji sighed. “He is only repeating the patterns he learned in our childhood. The only difference is that he now has a friend to enable him. And it disturbs me that he has trained someone to be like him.”

“Is this Adrian truly a bad influence?”

“...no. Not entirely. He gives Hanzo good advice. He’s supportive and wants to see Hanzo be happy. And I do not know what to think of this next part, but Adrian mentioned that they did good in their work.” Another sigh. “How do assassins do good work?”

“That will have to be a question that you need pose to your brother.”

“If he will talk to me. I upset him a great deal.” Genji sat up. “We talk. We argue. He gets upset and he runs to his little student. I hate that. He thought I called him a coward when we last spoke. I was worried that he risked his life to stop that young boy from detonating the vest. I told him that it was not like him. Onii-san took it the wrong way. Master, what do I do?” 

Zenyatta took a few of his orbs and played with them, letting them gently orbit his hand. Another person would call it juggling, but the omnic monk gently avoided that term. “Perhaps instead of upsetting your brother, you should make him laugh instead.”

“Hoooowwww.” Genji only just refrained from rolling on the floor like toddler. 

His master patted him on the head, indulgently. “I am sure, that as my brightest student, you will find a way.” Genji stared at him, helplessly. “Now, if your mind is clear, let us continue to see if you will reach tranquility today.”

Genji sighed and tried. Hours later he found he only attained a sore neck for his troubles.

*

Mired in his family troubles, Genji took a walk on the outside of base. He climbed up and down the cliffs, visiting seabird nests and watching their chicks. Dinner would have been cleaned up by the time he was ready to return but he still headed to the common room to see what he could find. To his surprise, he found Hana there at the dining table, ensconced on both sides by Mei and Hanzo. Computer tablets and assorted stationery were scattered in front of them. He smiled at this almost familiar image. Genji had forgotten that on top of everything else, Hana was also studying for her degree. 

Hanzo didn’t look up from his in-depth discussion with Hana. The poor girl’s eyes were watering as she tried to keep up. Mei smiled at him from where she was proofreading something, her stylus making red correction marks on the tablet screen. There were plenty from what Genji could see.

“There’s some leftovers on the stove, Genji. There’s egg drop corn soup, poached chicken and rice. I cooked tonight,” Mei added, unnecessarily.  

Forced to acknowledge him, Hanzo looked up. There was a slight look of challenge in his eyes. Released from Hanzo’s attention, Hana dropped her head on the table, her hand making vain grabby motions to the handheld game console at the end of the table

“Thank you, Mei. I will only have soup and rice. I am not very hungry.” Truth was, his metabolism didn’t need much. Making a rice bowl topped with a generous amount of eggy soup, he sat opposite Hana, setting his visor beside his bowl. Removing his visor was a commonplace occurrence now and his scarred features bothered no one. Genji watched Hanzo as Hanzo watched Hana, a small smile playing on his stern lips. 

“Ten minutes.”

“Freedom. Precious freedom.” Her little gamer hands grabbed the handheld and she was immediately lost to the world. 

“For a moment, brother, I mistook you for our father. All you lack are his glasses.” Genji said around his spoon, smiling lightly. Oh, there were green onions and cilantro in the soup, as well as diced bits of chicken. Very nice. Much nicer than the guarded look his brother had when he addressed him.

Hanzo snorted. “Thankfully, we live in the future where corrective eye surgery is readily available.” 

“Someone should tell Winston that,” muttered Hana as Mei giggled.

Genji paused, spoon mid way to his mouth. “Brother, are you saying that your eyesight had been failing?”

Hanzo’s eyes twitched in his direction. “N-no.” 

“It is no shame to have bad eyesight, Hanzo-san.” Mei smiled at him. 

“Certainly it is not. If I had bad eyesight. Which I do not.” Hanzo primly sipped his tea.  


There, that wasn’t too bad. Civil conversation and light banter. He could do this. He could win his brother back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:  
> “J'en ai plus rien à foutre!”  
> I don’t give a flying fuck!
> 
> This chapter contained so much mention of Adrian that I almost scrapped it. It's not my intention to glorify my OC at all. Hope y'all are enjoying this ride!


	3. Let Them Eat Cake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter involves cake and Genji being a shit.

Genji loved sparring with McCree. 

The American was a surprisingly good hand to hand combatant. He was by no means as good as either Genji or Hanzo, but by the heavens, he fought quick and dirty. Sparring with Jesse was always an education. There were two things that Genji kept in mind when sparring with McCree. 

One, don’t let him grab you. 

Two, definitely don’t let him grab you. 

The man could be like crocodile. One grab, then it’s the McCree death roll. He’s on your back, your neck in a firm chokehold. An expert in riding bucking broncos, there was no way that Genji and with all his tricks and techniques could ever shake the cowboy off.

Instead, Genji kept his distance. His strikes are quick and avoidant. He slapped away McCree’s hands to duck under and strike at the taller man’s jaw with an open palm. He tripped the cowboy from behind, tapping him on the back. His kicks are low to avoid the vice-like grips because McCree is startlingly quick for a large man. 

But oh, it wouldn’t be that easy, would it? Bigger, stronger, and full of testosterone, that magic hormone, McCree would be played with only for so long. 

Tease the bull long enough and he will charge the red cape. A misjudged step on Genji’s part means that he is caught as the cowboy rolls. Genji fell straight into McCree’s grip, his arms were quickly tangled in a bind and there was a knee in the small of his back.

Genji still felt that he won, though, if only because he was barely winded and Jesse was puffing like a motor. He tapped the mat as best he could and Jesse let him go, only to roll onto his back as well. 

“Aw geeze. I’m getting too old for this.”

“That is not true, Jesse. My brother is older than you and far fitter.”

Genji is treated to McCree’s stink eye. The cyborg continued blithely, propping himself on his elbow. “It is only your lungs that keep you down. I’m sure that you’d be much better if you stopped smoking.”

“Keep on talking, partner. Let’s see how deep you dig this hole.” Jesse was still trying to catch his breath. 

Genji chuckled, sitting up. He stretched his legs apart, as wide as they could go, and bent over his knees, one at a time. He didn’t have to look at Jess to see the look of disgust on the cowboy’s face.

“You’re a real swell friend, you know that?”

“I do.”

Jesse grunted, not amused. He patted his pockets and came up empty. 

“Your smokes are in your jacket,” Genji said, helpfully. He gestured to where Jesse tossed his jacket and hat. The cowboy glared at his things then flopped back on his back, not bothered enough to take the effort. 

“I’ll get ‘em later.”

Genji tsked. “Come and stretch. Come for a run with me.”

“Yer kidding right?”

“A slow run. A jog. A brisk walk. A crawl?” He prodded the cowboy with his foot. 

Jesse groaned. “Already had one this morning. Hanzo practically dragged me out of bed.” 

Genji grinned. “Good. Tomorrow will be my turn.” His grin widened at McCree’s muttered reply. He was being unfair, he knew. Jesse wasn’t unfit. There was only a little spare fat around his middle, not bad for a big man his age, but there was certain enjoyment in good naturedly needling a close friend.

“I’m gonna go get a shower.” Jesse reached for his boots at the edge of the mat and shoved his feet into them. “Then I’m gonna go feel better by shooting some targets.” 

Genji nodded. “That is a good choice. The targets can’t shoot back. I know your tummy tum is having trouble dodging bullets these days.”

McCree snorted. “Real cute, Genji.” He gathered his gear. “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

“Love you too, Jesse!” The cyborg snickered to himself. He wondered idly what to do with the rest of his morning. Zenyatta was helping Angela in the infirmary until midday. Hana and Lucio were probably still asleep. Morrison wasn't fun to hang around when he was working out, and Winston and Mei were always too busy. Ana and Reinhardt were catching up. Probably. It’s what they’ve been doing all week. Everyone else were off base on missions.

That left Hanzo.

Genji smiled. He had an idea.

He went looking for him, and found Hanzo in the armoury. Genji grinned behind his visor.

“Nii-san!”

Startled, Hanzo dropped the arrow he was working on. “Genji, what is it? Is there an emergency?” He started to stand. 

“I want to make up for upsetting you the other day!”

Hanzo scowled, reaching for his stool to sit back down. “It is nothing. We’ve moved on. I don’t wish to talk about it.” 

“And we are not. I have decided that I’m going to make you a cake.”

His brother frowned. “You...can cook now?”

“No! Which is why I need your help.”

“To make a cake for me.”

“Yes!” Genji was glad that Hanzo had caught on so quickly.

His elder brother was silent for a moment, then he shook his head. “No. I have better things to do.” He turned back to his work. “But, thank you.” 

Genji refused to give up. “But brother, if you don’t help me, I’ll end up giving you a terrible cake, one you won’t like! And you’ll make that face.”

“Genji, I don’t require a cake.”

“No, this is not the Hanzo that I know, the Hanzo who loved sweets so much he’d save his pocket money and then hide in the corner of the garden so he wouldn’t have to share with me.”

Hanzo only looked at him, this strange being of metal, circuits, and synth-muscle that his brother had turned into. This strange being who knew his childhood habits. “Are there even the proper ingredients in the kitchen?”

“I don’t know. That is also why I need your help.” Genji paused, and took off his visor. “Please, brother. Let us do something together that does not involve combat or training.”

Hanzo opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He closed his mouth and nodded. “As you wish.”

*

Genji used to visit Hanzo when he was away in Tokyo for university. He had a decent sized apartment, their family’s wealth ensuring that the eldest Shimada son would be comfortable during his studies. Hanzo had the funds to have his meals catered, but he generally prepared his own food. There was always a treat for Genji when he visited, often made by Hanzo himself. Genji wasn’t trusted to live outside of Hanamura and had to enroll into the local university. He never had the opportunity to care for himself before being (forcibly) enlisted in Overwatch.

Baking was something new to him.

“What does a cake need?”

“Flour, eggs, milk, butter or variations of such. Sugar, vanilla extract and salt.” Hanzo perched his hip on the kitchen island as Genji investigated the pantry. “I feel like a chocolate cake, so see if there’s cocoa powder and chocolate in there as well.” Genji was happy to see that his brother was getting into the spirit of things.

“Salt in cake?” What a strange notion.

“A little bit, to enhance the taste. There should be butter in the fridge.” There was, more than enough for both cake and frosting. Hanzo pulled out the chilled ingredients, found measuring cups and spoons, and bowls and baking tins. Then he perched on the island and smiled at Genji. “Now, follow my directions to the letter.” It was a very smug smile. “It is a cake for _me_ , after all. You can’t expect me to slave for it.”

Not exactly what Genji had in mind, but he laughed. “Nicely played, brother. How do I begin?”

The butter was cold and solid, so that had to be cut into cubes and set aside to soften. The eggs were separated, and Genji had the dubious pleasure of turning normal egg whites into foamy, cloudy peaks. Hanzo disappeared to his room while Genji cursed the egg whites for not foaming quickly enough. He came back with what Genji recognised as premium quality chocolate bars. “Much better than the cooking chocolate you found.”

McCree came in just as Genji putting the cake tins into the heated oven. “Well now, what’s this?”

“I’m making Hanzo cake!” 

The cowboy quirked a brow at the cake recipient, who shrugged. “What sorta cake?”

“Chocolate?” It was Genji’s turn to shrug. “I don’t cook. I’m just following Hanzo’s orders.”

“Heh. Chocolate souffle.”

McCree pursed his lips. “Hmm…sounds fancy. Betcha I gotta a recipe for a salted caramel sauce that’d go mighty fine with that.” 

Genji beamed. Hanzo raised his brow. 

“It might be too sweet…”

“True that. Could do with some ice cream to cut the sweetness.”

Hanzo hummed. “It could be possible. There’s eggs, milk and vanilla for the custard and perhaps Mei could be happy to part with some nitrogen.”

The three men looked at each other and nodded. The game was set and a plan was made. Genji was to go to beg, steal or lie for some liquid nitrogen from Mei-Ling, while Hanzo and Jesse busied themselves at the stove. 

Genji came back to see Hanzo and McCree at the stove, gently bumping against each other as they worked on their sauces. He grinned at them. He’d been successful in his mission, wheeling a canister of liquid nitrogen, Mei at his side. “I love nitrogen ice cream,” she said. “But I’ve never gotten the custard to work for me.”

“And I have never used nitrogen to make ice cream. This will be interesting.”

“What else can we put nitrogen in?” Genji was getting the hang of this cooking stuff. 

Mei giggled. “Only dessert foods. Shimada-san, will you whisk the custard while I pour the nitrogen?”

“Yes, but...do we need to let the custard cool first?”

Genji tuned out the discussion and went to check on his cakes. They looked like they were baking. Excellent. 

“Genji.” Hanzo jerked his chin towards the sinkful of dirty bowls. Oh. Genji sighed and got to it.

McCree stuck his caramel sauce in the fridge then rooted around for vegetables and meat. “What’s for lunch, Jesse?”

“Fajita rice. We ain’t got tortillas so rice it is.” Jesse grinned. “Ain’t gonna apologise for your taste buds.” He started slicing vegetables. 

“And wipe those bowls dry.”

Genji had a sudsy sharp knife in his hand. Operation Make Hanzo Happy almost ended then and there. The cyborg felt very good about himself when he merely placed the knife on the drying rack instead of in his brother’s back.

There was quiet banter while everyone worked, and when the last spoon was dried and kept away, Genji went to peer at the nitro ice cream. The whole process was interesting. Hanzo had insulated himself from the chill of the nitrogen by placing several towels around the metal mixing bowl while wearing two thick gloves on his hands. Mei was carefully spooning ladlefuls of the misting liquid into the bowl, careful to not spill any on Hanzo as he held the bowl and whisked.

“I could hold that bowl with less risk to myself.” 

Hanzo looked at Genji, then down at his many layers of thin cloth insulation, then at the liquid that froze on contact. “Be my guest.” Yessssss. Genji got to do something fun. 

On the other end of the island, McCree was slicing Spanish chorizo and muttering about how it wasn’t the same as chorizo back home. 

The timer dinged and the cakes came out of the oven. They smelled great, and were puffed up over the top of the tins. Then they began to sink. Genji looked over his shoulder and made a sound of disappointment. Hanzo shook his head. “They are meant to do that.”  He set aside to cool. 

McCree began to cook and the rest of the team began filing in the next half hour. Ones, twos, and groups of more, they all settled at the table and began talking amongst themselves. 

“Spicy food for breakfast, yeeeessssss,” Hana crowed, lifting her nose to smell the spice and heat.

“It’s lunch, little miss.”

“For you, maybe!”

The nitro ice cream churned successfully and Genji beamed into his big bowl of frozen triumph. That went into the freezer and he helped Mei put the cannister of nitrogen securely into a corner. 

Lunch was a lively affair. Bolstered by the promise of cake that everyone could smell, the atmosphere was the most cheerful that Genji had seen in awhile. Zenyatta came in, escorting the esteemable Dr. Ziegler (who looked tired), and floated at the end of the table beside Genji. Mei and Hanzo were talking about the ice cream, to everyone’s curiosity. Hana and Lucio demanded a demonstration, to which both Mei and Hanzo agreed. 

Genji polished off his rice bowl very quickly, taking his bowl to put in the dishwasher. Then he cut and portioned out the cakes, a scoop of ice cream on the side, and garnished with the caramel sauce and frozen berries from the freezer. He couldn’t cook, but he surely could present food. He gathered four servings and gave one to Hanzo, Mei, Jesse and kept one for himself. “Dessert for my brother and everyone who helped. The rest of you can get your own.” There was laughter, then Hana and Lucio raced for the larger slices. 

Genji could hear Hanzo laughing softly beside him, and it warmed him in the inside. He tried to not pay too much attention to his brother, but Zenyatta gave him a knowing look. He smiled and tried the dessert. Genji sighed. It was wonderful. He didn’t pay attention to the sounds of phone cameras going off. Hana, Mei and, surprisingly, Reinhardt liked to post pictures of pretty food, but McCree’s next words turned his lunch into a deep knot in his stomach. 

“Ya gonna send that to Adrian?” 

Hanzo grunted. “Yes. He’s been worried about me. This should stop the onslaught of cat pictures to my inbox.”

Genji felt like the floor dropped beneath his seat and that he was floating over a deep, dark pit. Damn. Even now, Adrian invaded his success. And McCree knew about Adrian? Adrian’s been sending Hanzo pictures of cats? This was both terrible news. 

Zenyatta’s knee bumped against his, and Genji swallowed his suddenly dry mouthful of cake and ice cream. He turned to Hanzo and Jesse, the latter had his arm casually on the back of Hanzo’s chair. Genji couldn't deal with that right now. “Who is Adrian?” he asked, very casually.

“Only the best, smartest guy in the world!” Hana waved her spoon in the air. “He explained standard deviation and it wasn’t _boring_.” Hanzo leveled a unamused eye at her, which she ignored. “He’s also cute! Hanzo showed me a picture.” Hanzo sighed regretfully then turned to Genji.

“Adrian Everard is my student, friend and business partner.” 

“He’s a real funny guy, knows a whole lotta funny stories ‘bout Hanzo.” This time the unamused look was directed at McCree. 

“My student has more utility than being a mere comedian.”

Genji bit his tongue. 

“Aw, c’mon, Hanzo, you were laughing too.” 

“Out of embarrassment that this was what my student had been reduced to.” 

“I did not know you had a student, Hanzo.” Zenyatta, the traitor, lying with ease.

Hanzo nodded, a little stiffly. “Yes, I met Adrian through our professional circles and I took him as a student after he and his previous mentor parted company five years ago.” 

“Pretty sure that 'professional circles' are fancy words for what Hanzo calls his assassin friends.”

Hanzo continued to look unamused.

Genji stuck a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. “So he was not good enough for one mentor, but good enough for you?” It was said softly enough that only Hanzo and Zenyatta heard. He could feel his master’s disappointed gaze and didn’t care.

Hanzo frowned at him, his eyes narrowing. Genji knew the signs, and steeled himself (hah!) for a sharp setdown. He was only saved by Hanzo’s phone chirping, and Hana snatching it up. 

“It’s Adrian! I’m going to call him!”

“Hana, no…” She ignored Hanzo’s protest and tapped at his unlocked screen. The call was on speaker and was picked up on the second ring. Hanzo had stood up and hurried to Hana’s side of the table, trying to get his phone back. 

“Sensei? Is something wrong?”

“Nope! It’s Hana! How are you, Adrian?”

A pause, then a short laugh. “Hello, Hana. I’m well, I’ve just woken up with the dawn. Are you enjoying lunch? Where is Hanzo-san?”

“Lunch was great and Hanzo is here trying to get his phone _back._ ” That last was almost a wail as the eldest Shimada brother snatched the phone from her small hands. 

Another laugh from the phone, this one much lighter and amused. Genji hated that he had a nice laugh. “Please ask Sensei for my number. You can have it.” Hana’s delighted squeal was his answer.

“Adrian, we’ll talk later about about the purchase accounts.”

“Of course, Sensei. Good night.”

_“Sore wa hirumadearu anata no baishunpu o oshiete!”_ It just came out. Genji could feel eyes on him. The weight of Zenyatta’s disappointment, Mei blinking as if she couldn’t believe what she heard. Everyone else who were staring at them, sensing the tension. And Hanzo, who was furious and was trying to control an outburst.

_“Sensei. Watashi wa tatakai ni kidzukimasu. Mō ikimasu. Oyasumi.”_ Shit. The gaijin spoke with a distinctive Hanamura accent, just like Hanzo and himself.

_“Oyasumi, Adrian-san.”_

The call ended. 

McCree, who as far as Genji knew, didn’t speak Nihongo but could read people like a book, stood. “Hey, y’all…” But Hanzo had already turned on his heel and left the room. Genji looked down. Both their bowls of cake were barely touched. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Genji. 
> 
> Translations  
> Tell your whore it is daytime!  
> Teacher. I notice fight. I will go now. Good night.
> 
> The cake that Genji made: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chocolate-fallen-souffle-cake-109130  
> The chicken fajita rice made by Jesse: http://www.mantitlement.com/recipes/chicken-fajita-rice/


	4. Flower. Sparrow. Wind. Moon.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the brothers Shimada talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to all you lovely people still reading and enjoying :)

Genji tried looking for Hanzo but was unable to locate him all day. He tried all the usual haunts, and Hanzo wasn’t even in his room. Finally, admitting defeat, Genji retreated to his room. He didn’t feel like meeting anyone on the way, so he entered through the window.

He should have looked first.

Hanzo and Zenyatta were already waiting for him.

Genji had never been so masterfully ambushed since...well. The last time Hanzo ambushed him.

“Welcome, my student. Please join us.” Zenyatta gestured.

“I am pleased to be welcomed into my own room.”

Zenyatta looked upon him serenely. Hanzo looked at everywhere else but him. Genji sighed and sat on his bed.

“Hanzo and I have been talking about many things in the past few hours. One of the few things that I find that we agree on is how protective a teacher may feel towards his student. Hanzo has admitted that he has stepped in to assist his own student in correcting his mistakes. In return, he has had loyal assistance when he, too, was of need of help.

“Genji, my student, as I sit here and contemplate your actions, I find that you are perched on a precipice from which a reconciliation with your brother will be most difficult if not impossible. I am experiencing protective feelings now. My intervention is necessary.”

Genji said nothing. Hanzo said nothing. Genji stared at the floor, Hanzo at the wall.

“Genji, do you have something to say to your brother?”

Genji waited five heartbeats. He waited for a sign from the heavens, the base emergency klaxons...anything. Nothing. The gods were not on his side. He sighed.

“I am jealous of Adrian.”

The weight of Hanzo’s regard bowed his head.

_“Why?!”_

Genji turned his palms upwards. “I listened in on a couple of your calls. He could talk to you without upsetting you.”

“You eavesdropped…” Hanzo stopped mid sentence, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Genji sprang to his feet. “You have me now, you don’t need him.”

Hanzo gave his brother a look. “You have me now. You don’t need Zenyatta.”

“No...but that’s different.”

“Adrian is my friend and student. He is not my brother.” Hanzo ground this out from between clenched teeth. He sounded like he was trying to find patience from a well of deep annoyance.

“Perhaps....Adrian is also not a replacement for Genji?”

Hanzo blinked at the omnic monk. “Of course he isn’t.” Then he looked at Genji, who still had not taken his visor off. “Of course he is not your replacement.”

“I think I needed to hear that.” Genji still felt hollow inside. “I will need to apologise to Adrian.”

“He has been called worse. Adrian is merely startled. I, on the other hand, am humiliated and furious.”

Genji sat back down. “Brother, I am sorry. I listened to my jealousy and resentment.”

Hanzo said nothing.

Zenyatta stirred again. “I believe that your country has a saying. _The more stupid a child, the dearer it is.”_

“Master!”

The omnic monk ignored him. “Hanzo, I believe that we can both agree that Genji is dear to us and that we both wish to mend this break.”

The elder Shimada brother grunted. “I am in no mood to discuss this further at this moment, but Genji, we _will_ talk.” Genji nodded silently. Hanzo turned to Zenyatta and bowed respectfully. “Thank you for your assistance.”

Zenyatta bowed back. Hanzo left the room.

Genji flopped back on his bed as Zenyatta levitated nearer. His master extended one finger and poked him in the head.

“Now, my student, we will meditate.”

Genji sighed. “Yes, master.”

*

Genji stayed in his room for the rest of the day, wallowing in his failure. Dinner came and went with Genji mindlessly trolling the internet for cute puppy videos on his phone. The Shimada brothers never had animals other than the estate cats and the koi in the ponds. It would have been nice to have had a dog. He heard that dogs could cheer you up when you were down.

There was a knock on his door. Genji ignored it. It came again after a heart beat.

“Genji, it is me.” Hanzo!

Genji flung his phone aside and jumped up to open the door. His brother stood there, two bowls of cake and ice cream in his hands, the same ones from lunch. “McCree wrapped them up and placed them in the freezer for us. I thought we could eat them together.”

Genji blinked. “Yes. Please, come in.” He stepped aside. Maybe things weren’t so bad.

They ate in companionable silence. Hanzo sat on the one chair in the room and Genji sat cross legged on the bed. Hanzo was never one for lingering over his sweets and was almost done while Genji had was barely started. He’d learned to slow down, appreciate the flavour and taste of the dish, especially so now when he couldn’t consume much. There was the chink of cutlery and Genji looked up to see Hanzo wiping his mouth and settled back.

“Are you still angry?”

Hanzo made a dismissive gesture. “Yes, but it is nothing. You are contrite. That is good enough for now.” He pulled his ankle to his knee. “You have questions for me?”

Genji shrugged. He wasn’t about to bring up Adrian again. He still wasn’t sure he could be sensible about him yet. “You were part of a professional association?”

His brother laughed, but it didn’t sound like a very amused one. “Yes. It was exclusive, invitation only. It was more of an club of select upper class sportsmen.”

Genji starred. What was this horrible group of people that Hanzo associated with.

“That took killing contracts.” Hanzo shrugged. “There were rules. We didn’t eliminate each other if we took the same contracts and we maintained civil relations with other professional members. Very few of us knew each other’s real names. I was known as Okami. Only my sponsor knew my name. That was where I met formally met Adrian. He took the code name “Papillon”. We were inducted around the same time, but we had worked together even before that. I didn’t know it then, but he was only eighteen. I know for a fact that he had been operating for far longer than that. He worked first with Hou, then with me. He was a true professional even then.”

“Hou?”

“My sponsor. And my lover at the time. His passed a few months after my induction.”

“Ah. My apologies, brother.”

“It was seven years ago,” Hanzo said, brusquely, but there was a hint of regret in his eyes.

Genji changed the subject. “How do you get to be a contract killer at eighteen?” He knew but he wondered what sort of upbringing other people who were raised with lethal martial skills  would have. “Was he from a crime family also?”

“Heh. In a way. They definitely committed crimes. His father comes from a family of wealthy businessmen and politicians. Adrian describes his father as an urban ambush predator.  His father was the individual who trained Adrian to follow in his footsteps.”

Genji parsed those words and shook his head. “To be a killer? And..his mother?”

“Equally frightening. She’s in the cutthroat world of fashion.”

Genji set aside his bowl and hid his face in his hands. “Brother, I cannot tell if you are messing with me.”

“Yes, I had a similar reaction and then I met her. Perhaps you’ll see, one day. Regardless, it was a few years later before I took Adrian as my student. He had been discarded by his mentor, his father. He was severely injured and was in need of medical care and guidance.”

Genji absorbed that for a moment. “Not..unlike myself.”

“No,” said his brother quietly. “And not...to the extent of your injuries. But he was only twenty at the time, and while self inflicted, his father was very much responsible for his injury. I found a doctor for him and I helped him back to his feet. I re-trained him and we grew to trust. The first year was arduous. I moved us around to keep his father from finding him. We survived that and we formed a partnership from there. We worked well together, Adrian and I have similar and complementary skills.”

“He is also a sniper?”

“Yes, but not as good as myself. Adrian prefers the rifle.” Hanzo allowed himself a smug smile. “He has much more refined social skills, however.”

Genji blinked at his brother like he didn’t know what Hanzo was talking about.

Hanzo snorted and continued. “Our partnership was profitable for us. We were able to sign up for more difficult, complex and more lucrative jobs than as a single unit. We were successful enough that in the last eighteen months we shifted from urban targets to more interesting but less profitable military style operations.”

“Like Burma?”

Hanzo frowned and shifted, remembering what brought up Burma in the first place.

“I’m sorry. I should not have listened in.”

“No, you should not have.” Hanzo’s mouth was turned down at the corners.

“Nii-san, I...I listened in the first time because I was curious. I had been worried that you were lonely here and I was glad that you had a friend. I began to grow jealous that he could speak so easily with you. We hadn’t been like that since children. I wanted my brother back.”

This time it was Hanzo who laid his face in his hands. “And I too want my brother back.” He lowered his hands, and stared at them. “This is all I know, Genji. I have done many vile things. I did not care how I chose contracts in the first few years after I left the clan. Adrian is slightly more moral than I am. It was only then that I started accepting contracts with more care. With every foul life I extinguished, I felt that I was restoring my own honour, that same honour that I lost when I killed you.”

“It took me a long time to forgive you, brother. The days after I left Overwatch were filled with anger. I had no direction, no future until I met Zenyatta.” Genji, too, looked at his hands. They were mechanical and wonderfully articulate, but it was arduous for him to get used to them. “There are few places where I do not feel like an outcast. Overwatch is one, Nepal another. I have lost so much.” His shoulders hunched. “It felt like he was slowly taking over. Everyone liked him.”

Hanzo moved to sit beside him on the bed, almost touching.

“Genji, I am sorry.”

Genji sighed and bumped shoulders with his brother. They sat in companionable silence.

“So, McCree?”

His brother flicked his eyes sideways. “What of him?”

“You seem to be growing close.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Genji chuckled.

There was silence again, then Hanzo gestured for Genji’s abandoned bowl, intending to finish his dessert for him. “I have noticed that the base is in much disrepair.”

“Yes. I cannot imagine what these musty mattresses must be like on your old back.” The smell didn’t bother Genji, not when he had his mask, and his artificial body of synth-muscle and metal struts and joints didn’t need the support that an organic body needed. Small mercies there.

Another dirty look. “The floor is more comfortable. I’ve talked with Adrian, and he has agreed that I can allocate some funds from our business accounts to upgrade the facilities here.”

Genji blinked. “Brother, that is generous.”

“It is troublesome. The majority of our joint available funds is tied in an escrow account. We are at the moment attempting to buy a small partnership into a private military firm. It is one of the good ones,” he assured his brother’s frown.

“Is it Helix Securities?”

Hanzo shook his head. “No, they’re called Copper Solutions. Helix is too high profile for our liking. Copper Solutions are comprised of former military and ex-police officers. They are still relatively small, if well equipped.

“These former military and ex-police officers are the idealistic fools that Adrian was complaining about?”

Hanzo laughed. “Yes. Adrian is very jaded for his age. Regardless, we have employed them in the past to help protect some of our projects and we’ve contracted with them. Adrian is currently getting preparing to work with a strike force in the field. He will be assessing their methods as a team member, not as a contractor. I await his final decision. As for this base, I’ll need to go over our remaining liquid assets and see how much we can shuffle to allocate to Overwatch. I need a list of what comforts and essentials need repairs or replacing. Beds, paint for the walls, entertainment, plumbing, exercise equipment...can you help with that? I am going to talk to Winston tomorrow.”

“Yes! I can!” Appetite returned, he snatched the bowl from Hanzo and applied himself to more cake. Hanzo gave him yet another narrow eyed look as he wiped his mouth. “Annoying brat.”

“Old man.” Then something occurred to him. “Adrian doesn’t know that you are in Overwatch.”

Hanzo _snickered_ . “No, he does not. We’ve agreed that we wouldn’t involve ourselves in illegal organisations. He is going to be _furious_ . He’s going to yell at me in _English_ and I’m looking forward to it.”

Genji looked on with amazement. He had forgotten about Hanzo’s ability for sly humour. “Record it for me.”

“Perhaps you’ll be there to enjoy it with me.”

“We’ll have to time it correctly.”

Hanzo grinned at him. Genji returned it shyly.

“And...I owe you another cake.”

Hanzo raised a single brow. “Are you going to make a cake each time you upset me?”

Genji fidgeted. “Yes. Are you going to make me do difficult cakes each time?”

That smirk. “Yes.”

Genji sighed happily. “It’s good to have you back, brother. I’m glad that La Maestra didn’t kill you.”

Hanzo narrowed his eyes at him. Genji smiled back.

“La Maestra was a misguided lady with whom I spent a  few months with.”

“Before she stabbed you in the kidneys.”

Hanzo sighed.

“Yes. Before she stabbed me in the sides in an attempt to find my kidneys. She used nail files,” Hanzo added, unnecessarily to Genji’s thought. “She was more of a hobbyist.”

“....a hobbyist that took contracts in her spare time? Brother, who did you associate with?

Hanzo sighed. “As the assassin known as Okami, the bored and blood thirsty wealthy, for all they called themselves professionals...Shimada Hanzo associated with mercenaries.”

Genji held his empty bowl. “And tomorrow, we go to make the lives of heroes easier.” He smiled at Hanzo. “A new leaf.”

“A new leaf,” his brother agreed, smiling back.

*

The brothers Shimada put forward their offer to Winston the next day. They didn’t really expect much in the way of protests. Afterall, perhaps it’s time for new equipment when a mattress still smelled musty and old after a week of airing in full sunlight.

Winston took off his glasses to wipe them. “Thank you, it is very kind of you, Shimada-san. I won’t lie when I say that it’ll raise the base morale.”

Genji idly wondered why ever no one called _him_ Shimada-san.

Hanzo bowed slightly. “I do not wish it to be thought that I am buying my way into the team’s confidence, but I do wish you to understand that this is a way to demonstrate to you my long term commitment to the team.”

Winston nodded, slipping his glasses back on. There were many things that needed repairs and replacing in this base alone, yet alone the other Watchpoints. His eyes slipped to still broken window in his office. He sighed. “I should refuse, it’s the polite thing to do, but I am also an intelligent and practical individual and I cannot refuse your offer. What sort of figure are you thinking of donating?”

Hanzo shifted. “I apologise in advance for my parsimony, but my business partner and I can allocate around three to five million in US currency. I do realise that it is not much but additional funds can be allocated in the future if needed.”

“That...is truly more than I expected. Thank you.”

Genji thought his brother looked relieved. “I have never outfitted a base before and was not sure if that was adequate. Regardless, while I examine my business accounts, please give Genji the task of collating the list of goods, and then sourcing them for purchase later.”

“Please convey my gratitude to your business partner.” Winston adjusted his glasses again. “You truly do not mind this donation?”

“Adrian and I have agreed to use the profits of our investments for altruistic goals. I think that taking care of your field agents’ backs count towards altruism,” Hanzo said, with a wry smile.

“Good, good. I’ll send a base wide announcement after this meeting and give a more detailed explanation when everybody is gathered during dinner. I’ll say that the money comes from an anonymous benefactor. Will that do.”

“It will.” They stood, and shook hands. The brothers parted company once outside Winston’s door and Genji practically skipped on his way to meet Zenyatta for meditation in the best mood he’s had for weeks.

Genji couldn’t have known how things would go so wrong a month and half later.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The proper Japanese proverb is "Flower. Bird. Wind. Moon." meaning, "know yourself". Replacing "Bird" with "Sparrow" seemed natural.


	5. Mystery Machine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji has a busy month helping Hanzo with his project and running two missions. May he'll be lucky and not hear about that Adrian creep!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to [evanelric](http://archiveofourown.org/users/evanelric) for the beta!

The next six weeks were a flurry of activity. Genji collated and organised the purchasing suggestions and lists in between training and mission briefing, and put in the purchase orders for delivery by the time he came back from his first mission. He had to confer with Winston and Hanzo a few times when certain tempting but unnecessary items were suggested. 

“No, we cannot have a vending machine that doles out instant noodles. We have a kettle and boxes of cup noodles. Write to Hana and say no.”

“Maybe it wasn’t Hana,” Genji muttered, placing a large X beside the suggestion. “The next dubious suggestion is an electric kettle with a setting for green tea.” He flicked his eyes upwards. “Hanzo?”

Hanzo raised his brow. “Maybe it wasn’t me. Besides, it has other settings and the kettle we do have is almost worn to the wire.”

“Hn. Point.” A big tick. 

It went on like that, with Genji going though first kitchen luxuries and upgrades, then moving on to gym equipment. They had already placed in orders for new bedding, including a custom sized bunk for Reinhardt. 

“It looks like someone has been punching holes in the boxing bags.” Genji tapped his stylus on the request for three new bags.

Winston sighed. “I’ll have a talk with Jack.” 

Genji shrugged and went down the list. “The next are my and Hana’s recommendations. Gymnastic rings, pommel horse, high bar, parallel bars and uneven bars. Chalk, as well, I suppose. And yes, we need upgrade the padded mats. They’re as musty and worn as the mattresses.” 

“Hmm. I’m inclined to say we put the gymnastic equipment as a maybe but the padded mats as a definitely.” 

Hanzo agreed and Genji sighed as he scribbled a question mark down.

Cardio, resistance and weights machines were also approved. Hanzo scribbled an estimate in his notebook and nodded. “We are still coming under. This is good. Genji, put those orders in on the card I gave you. I will direct funds into it while you’re on mission.” Hanzo meant his personal black credit chip. He turned his notebook to a new page, a cue that Genji took to mean that he could see the rest of the team coming in for the Dorado mission briefing. He flicked to a new page on his tablet. 

The rest of the team filed in one by one. Hanzo wasn’t going but Genji was, as were Hana and Lucio. Everyone else came to stay abreast of the situation.

It was only a short mission. A week at the most. Genji was glad that McCree was being left behind, even though he’d miss his friend. He’d nudged McCree earlier with a suggestive grin, to which the cowboy bashfully tugged his hat over his eyes. “I see how you look at my brother, Jesse. Are you sure I can leave you alone with Hanzo? Are your intentions honourable?” And he was treated to Jesse’s deep blush when Hanzo surprised them both by suddenly appearing and quipped as he passed by:

“I’d be disappointed if they weren’t.”

Even better news was that Hanzo had told him that Adrian was going on radio silence as he went to explore a jungle somewhere with Copper Solutions. Genji privately hoped that leeches would eat him. 

A small, generous, part of him was worried that Hanzo would be lonely again, so he was equally glad for McCree’s exclusion.

The briefing was over before he knew it. It was a simple stakeout mission observing some gang activity. Genji had his money on the gang being a bunch of bored teens. Hana was hoping there would be a fight. Morrison prescribed caution and vigilance. No one was surprised.

Genji was also glad there would be a whole week where he wouldn’t have to hear about the great and awesome Adrian.

*

He stared at the picture on Hana’s phone. It was professionally shot, touched up, filtered and tinted but all it did was emphasise how ridiculously handsome Adrian Everard was. Genji felt defeated.

“He’s cute, isn’t he? But that’s when he was sixteen. Adrian tells me he looks much different now.”

Genji looked at the blond hair, the dirty green eyes, and the charming, boyishly cheeky grin.

“Different? He’s gotten fat?” He could hope.

“Dude. No. He doesn’t model anymore because of his scars.” Hana took the phone back and flicked it a few images along. “And he doesn’t like to have his face captured by cameras anymore.”

“Because of the scars on his face?” Well, okay. He understood about hiding facial scarring.

“No, he hasn’t got face scars. It’s like, because he’s a professional hitman and getting digitally recognised is not good for business.” Hana rolled her eyes at him. “Here. This is him at twenty.” The image of Adrian at sixteen showed his whole smiling face. Adrian at twenty showed half his face and smile, hiding half his face with a hat. It was a black and white image, a shirtless, fit and defined torso shot from the waist upwards. It was obvious he’d lost the baby fat he’d had when he was younger, the bones of his face more prominent now he was a young adult. The smile was still charmingly boyish, but there was an edge now. “Adrian told me he had to use the hat as a mask because he had a black eye that day.”

Genji returned the phone, and patted Hana on the head. “Your crush is getting out of control.” 

Hana didn’t hit him even though Genji could see she wanted to. “It’s not like that. He’s funny, cute and nice to look at. That’s all.” She stuck her tongue out. “He hides it really well, but he’s like Jack. And Jesse. And Hanzo. He’s seen too much. I don’t want that sort of baggage in a boyfriend and he thinks I’m like a little sister.” Hana beamed. “Adrian’s promised to take me and Lucio to Disneyland Paris. You should come with! It might help you get over this weird jealousy thing you have going on.”

Shit.

Genji didn’t try to deny it. “Am I that obvious?”

Lucio jogged in, grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and slung an arm around his shoulder. “Are we talking about that creep, Adrian? I’m totally on your side on this, bro. I mean, Disneyland Paris. Really? What monster even does that? Hana and I think he’s got a hit there and we’re just his cover. Or maybe...he just..wants to have fun. Diabolical.” He crunched loudly into his apple. 

Genji felt like his feelings were being mocked.

“It’s great he’s so perfect he’s stealing my friends.” 

Hana rolled her eyes. Genji didn’t blame her. He sounded overdramatic even to himself. “Didn’t you hear what I said? He’s really good at hiding his stuff. He’s not perfect. I bet he wears shirt suspenders like those starchy officers back home.” 

“Er...what are those?” Lucio took another loud bite.

“Like those elastic things you attach your shirt to your socks so your shirt doesn’t pull out when you move. They’re seriously dorky.”

Genji blinked from behind his visor. “That strangely makes me feel better. Okay. Let’s focus on the mission. What do we have?” 

The three of them were holed up in a fairly decent two-bedroom apartment in an older apartment complex. Most of their surveillance work would be done remotely, with stealth observation on Genji’s part when night fell. Genji had been given mission lead as he had seniority over the audio medic and MEKA pilot. Contact and conflict were not on the itinerary, but if it came to that, Genji was confident that they could handle any fight between the three of them. 

Hana popped her gum, pushing herself up the kitchen bench. “Looks like Seventy-Six was right when he said he took care of half Los Muertos when he was last here. They’re pretty quiet and jumpy.”

“Good ol’ Jack, he’s real good at bringing down the hurt.” Lucio grinned, taking out his tablet. There were a couple of drones taking stock of the city by tracking known gang members. Lucio reported on them. “So, we got yellow skull, here. He seems to be doing the protection rounds. Pink skull with stars is peddling drugs to kids, and other yellow skull just stole an ice cream cone. I think there’s five other active gang members.”

“Hn. Let us see if a clear leader emerges. I also want to know where their drug supply comes from.” He tapped his finger on his arm, thinking about Hana’s words. “It’s almost been a year since Jack was here. They should not be as jumpy as you say, Hana. I will investigate this later.”

“You got it, boss.”

*

Disturbingly, Genji couldn’t find anything that night, or other nights, that explained why Los Muertos were as spooked as Hana claimed. They jumped at shadows and muttered something about “El Caballero” but there was not much else. Lucio had better luck, pretending to be a tourist as he “accidentally” bumped into some gang members in a bar and bought them a round. 

“Yeah, this El Caballero dude has them spooked. I got two stories that say he’s like a dracula and eats faces, or he’s like a shadow zombie.” Lucio shrugged. There was a slight flush of red across his face from light drinking, and he still seemed sober. 

“And we still don’t have anything on their leader.” The drug source had been tracked to a local cook and they were tracking the situation, preferring to wait until the production levels increased before moving in. Better the devil you know, as they say.

“Draculas don’t eat faces, they drink blood.”

Lucio shrugged. “Hey fam, that’s what I’ve been told. Genji, what do you think?”

“I have never heard of a shadow zombie before.”

“You guys are missing the point.” 

Genji shook his head. “We’re out of time. I agree there’s something going on here but it needs an in-depth investigation. We go home tomorrow.” And when he got back, he had a week to prepare for a longer two week mission as well as help sort out the deliveries that would have arrived while he was gone. 

Lucio sighed, shaking his head. “Yeah, I know. This mystery bugs me.”

“I’ll petition Winston for a longer mission here.” 

“Thanks, man. Guess I’ll go pack up, then.” 

Genji nodded, and went to stand by the window for the night watch.

*

Genji was thankful for his meditation sessions with Zenyatta. It seemed that it was the only time since he got back from the Dorado mission that he would have a quiet moment to still his mind. 

The debrief with Winston had been less than satisfactory. He hadn’t been pleased with the scarcity of results from the Dorado mission and Genji didn’t blame him, but he did convince Winston to schedule a later and longer investigation. 

There was the training and mission prep for the next mission. This one was being led by Morrison, and he was taking Reinhardt, Mercy, Mei, Tracer and himself, a full squad complement. Morrison was expecting trouble on this one. 

The first of the new bunks had arrived, and to call them bunks was like calling a katana a nice knife. They were actual beds, each with the capacity to be folded away when not in use to increase floor space. Hanzo and Jesse had been hard at work helping with assembly and Genji pitched in where he could. He barely saw his brother outside those times, but Jesse seemed happy even though Hanzo was much the same as always. He seemed stressed, grumpy and more that little tired. Genji didn’t have a chance to interrogate Jesse about what he and Hanzo got up to while he was away before he had to leave again. What he did pick up was Hanzo muttering something under his breath about the accounts.

“What was that, brother?”

Hanzo frowned at him, a tablet and stylus in his hands. “I’m having trouble finding the funds that Adrian said were available. I made him take care of our accounts for the last year. He needed the practice. I am right now regretting that decision.”

Genji remembered that his brother had degrees in business and accounting. He hesitated before voicing the first thing that came to his mind, then said it anyway. “Do you think he has been skimming from the top?”

Hanzo thankfully did not take offence. “No. Adrian is a spendthrift but he has own wealth and investments. It is more likely that he was in a hurry and didn’t include all the accounts under our business names. If it comes to it, I can transfer my own funds into the credit card to cover us.”

“Brother, you mean to say that you have five million spare credits and you won’t even buy me a puppy?” Genji enjoyed the flat glare that was levelled at him.

“You did not expect that I would leave the clan without a yen to my name, now would you?” Hanzo smirked. “And there was the inheritance from mother… Ah. You deserve half of that now. I had forgotten. My apologies.”

“I had forgotten about that. It seems so minor a thing now…” 

Hanzo clapped him on the shoulder. “Remind me when you get back.”

Genji huffed a small laugh. “I do not even remember if I still have a bank account. I must do; I never closed the one I had while at Overwatch.”

“Buy your own puppy.”

Genji laughed.

*

Numbani, the scene of their victory not too long ago. Jack was prepared to dig deep to root out the puppet master who had coerced the young bomber. The local authorities were stumped; all their leads had fizzled into morning mists. The mastermind had packed up shop and gone to ground. 

Genji’s team didn’t have much luck either. They dug into Numbani’s underworld for two weeks and came up with little more than scant rumour and vague stories. 

Genji felt the bitterness of two failed missions in a row. 

He couldn’t wait for his month to get better.

*

When he returned, he found Jesse recovering from a cold and Hanzo away on business. 

“I was gonna go with him, but then I got struck down quicker than a  prairie fire with a tail wind.”

Genji was sorry to have missed the peak of Jesse’s illness. The cowboy was excellent comedy fodder when he had a cold. But... “It is good that you are feeling better now.” McCree shrugged. 

“Wished I couldda gotten better sooner. It don’t seem right that Hanzo had to go by himself.”

“My brother can take care of himself.”

Just then his phone rang, and Genji didn’t recognise the number. He accepted the call.

“Sensei!” Of course it was Adrian. But why.. “Remind me to bring a flamethrower the next time I have to go into a jungle!”

A sense of unease settled around his shoulders.

“Adrian-san? This is Genji.”

A pause. “Ah. Genji-san. I seem to have called you by mistake. While calling Hanzo-san. How interesting. Especially since I don’t have your number.”

His unease grew heavier and more immediate than the fuzz of jealousy in his chest. 

“Why don’t you call him again.”

“I will. Could you have someone else try as well?”

“Yes.”

They hung up. Adrian’s call went to McCree’s phone and Hana’s call went to his.

“Something is wrong,” Adrian said when he called next. “Hanzo-san would not have routed his calls like this.”

“We’ll investigate this here.”

“I’m on a flight to London. I’ll land in six hours. Update me, please.” Adrian rang off.

Jesse looked terrible and not just because of his red eyes and nose. “I’m gonna go see Angel. I needa be on my feet for this..” He staggered to the med bay to ask some something stronger than orange juice and chicken soup.

Genji cloistered himself with Athena. She confirmed that Hanzo had gone to Marseilles and that his last credit transaction was 18 hours ago but couldn’t find his accommodation details. Genji fixed his jaw and called Adrian back two hours later.

“Everard.”

“Hanzo was last located in Marseilles, but I cannot find any accomodation details.”

“Marseilles. I have an apartment there that Sensei has the passcode for.” A pause. “I’ll transfer onto a flight once I’m at Heathrow. I can be in Marseilles in nine hours. Have you a pen?”

The manner in which Adrian was trying to take over this investigation grated at him. “I think that I will be able to find my brother without your assistance.”

“I have property and resources in Marseilles. I know Marseilles. I speak French like a native. I have contacts and safe houses in Marseilles and throughout France. I am familiar with any accounts that Hanzo-san may have been looking at.  I am an asset that you cannot afford to refuse. Do you have a pen? This is the address for one of my safehouses. It has vehicles, supplies, food and ordnance.” The words came out in a rapid fire clipped manner. He didn’t sound like the cheerful young man that Genji had come to see him as. “Will. You. Accept. My. Help?”

Genji wanted to refuse. He fought with his rising resentment. He knew that Adrian was right and he hated it. “I will.”

“Here is the address and the passcode. If you arrive before me, do not under any circumstances drive the red sportscar. It is a deathtrap. I have a van and a truck there as well as several other vehicles. Help yourself.”

“I will see you there.”

*

Convincing Winston that Hanzo was missing was no mean feat. All Genji had was a gut (hah!) feeling and Hanzo’s phone’s routed calls. Athena confirmed that Hanzo’s communicator was offline. There could be mundane reasons. Genji didn’t think any of those applied. And neither did Morrison when he caught wind. He shook his head at Winston.

“If you don’t let them go, him and McCree will just make off on their own. I’ll go with them to keep them out of trouble. I need something to go right.” 

Then Ana and Hana both volunteered and Winston let up. Genji had a team.

Mobilizing the volunteers was going to take more than the (Genji checked his chronometer) now five hours that Adrian said he needed to reach Marseilles. He wasn’t going to be there before Hanzo’s student arrived. 

That was fine.

Genji was coming with an army.

Top that, Adrian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next update will be an interlude chapter showing the happy courtship of Jesse and Hanzo ^_^
> 
> You guys will like that, right? It's not as if I'll be leaving you with a cliffhanger or something, right?
> 
> And oh! Ratings will increase with the next installment.


	6. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Jesse McCree and Hanzo Shimada get close during these past weeks.
> 
> This chapter makes the rating go up! ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to [evanelric](http://archiveofourown.org/users/evanelric) for the beta!

McCree wasn’t quite sure of the exact point when Hanzo Shimada and he started becoming friends. The older Shimada was a proud, touchy man, and his nerves were already frayed and raw thanks to his brother’s sudden reappearance in his life.

Hanzo radiated loneliness. He did not strike Jesse as the kind of man who made friends easily.

(Later Hanzo would tell Jesse of his friendships that he’d left to reconcile with his brother and Jesse respected Hanzo more for that.)

He understood his role in the team, however. What he had been after he left the Shimada-gumi, he had not done it on his own. Fitting in with the personalities and varied skills of the new Overwatch took some doing, even for McCree. He hadn't worked with half the new team before. Compensating and supporting for different and unfamiliar skillsets took work and extensive training. 

Jesse watched Hanzo as he trained, and he knew he was watched in turn. Shimada and he exchanged a look then a nod. They recognised each other as experienced professionals. There was something in Shimada-san’s style that seemed off, as though-

McCree snapped his fingers. “You’re used to working with a partner, ain’tcha?”

Shimada made a face, displeased. “I had hoped that it was not that obvious. I am too used to trusting my flank to my partner.”

“He any good, your partner? Pretty sure that Winston will take any recommendations.”

Shimada examined one of his arrows. “I had thought about it. I am not sure how he will take the offer. Overwatch _is_ illegal. He dislikes having a large target like that on him. Nevertheless, he is currently on contract with another PMC. We will see in a few months’ time.” Then he turned toward Jesse, quirking a rare smile. “And Adrian is very good. He is my student and I have refined his skills.”

The cowboy laughed, tying up his hat. “Didn’t see you as the type to take a student like that, Shimada-san.”

There was a snort. “When life throws at you lost lambs, you either eat them or give them a home.”

Jesse laughed again. “Too true.”

They had little to talk about outside of training and missions. Little by little, Hanzo began to correct his old habits, and little by little over the next few weeks, the team came together.

Their first few missions were an unqualified success. Jesse almost wished they weren’t, because it would have made the failure of this latest mission a little easier to bear.

Hanzo trailed at the rear of the group.  The sash in his hair dripped low, soaked from the rain that opened overhead. No one was particularly happy, not even Jesse, but it seemed to hit Hanzo the hardest. He sat at the back of the transport, dropping his bow at his feet and lowering his head in his hands.

Jesse sat beside him, offering the other man his flask of whiskey. Shimada shook his head. “Thank you, but no.” They sat in silence while Hanzo examined the metal floor beneath their feet. “They came from my weak flank. This was my fault.”

Taking a swallow from the flask, Jesse shook his head. “Naw. They came from my flank too. We were all blindsided, Shimada-san.”

“I had the higher ground.”

“Yer a sniper, Shimada-san. Ain’t no one expects you to be a spotter also.”

Hanzo drooped, holding his hand out for Jesse’s flask. They passed the flask back and forth until they reached the Watchpoint, then went their separate ways.

Jesse spent the night drinking deeply from the bottle he kept behind his bed. He spun out the rounds in Peacekeeper, tossing them on his bed, and spun the cylinder again. The familiarity of the sound was comforting. He closed his eyes, listening to the the spinning, then spun it again and again.

He fell asleep on the cold floor, waking up to a stiff body and a pounding head. McCree considered the empty bottle and groaned. He didn’t feel much better after a shower. Jesse dragged his sad carcass to the common room, grabbed a sandwich from the communal platter and sat beside the Shimadas.

Genji was blithely telling Hanzo all the things he did wrong in the mission.

Fuck.

He now understood why Hanzo nearly killed the little shit all those years ago.

Jesse tuned out the younger Shimada for his own sanity, chewing mindlessly on his sandwich. He grunted when someone said his name. Then he heard what Shimada-san was saying and he wanted to agree so badly that he made a fool out of himself. At least three times in less than a minute. Then he endured the humiliation of being escorted to Mercy by both Shimada brothers.

 

Angela tutted, gave him something for the pain (they both ignored that it really was for his hangover and not his cracked chin).

To his surprise, Hanzo was waiting outside the medbay for him. “I sent Genji to clean up after us.”

McCree stood awkwardly in his worn sweats and tee. Hanzo looked put together in a Henley and fitted cargos. Wordlessly, he handed Jesse a bottle of water.

“I can take care of myself.” Christ, he sounded sulky.

“I am assured that you can. However, if I had not listened to a friend last night, I’d be in as deep discomfort as you are now.”

McCree took a sip. “That’s a good friend, all right.” He took another sip. “Think I’ll take what dignity I have left and get me back to bed.”

“McCree-san, I meant what I said. We should train together.”

“Aw shucks, Shimada-san. I made a fool outta myself ‘cuz I agree.”

Jesse almost felt his hangover lift at Hanzo’s slight, but genuine, smile.

“We start tomorrow morning?”

“Right as rain, partner.”

Now that felt good to say.

*

Hanzo’s idea of starting the next morning was to wake McCree up just after dawn. Jesse winced from standing barefoot on the cold floor and answered the door in his boxers.

Anybody who wanted to wake him before seven in the morning deserved the eyeful, to his thinking.

“Yup?” Jesse leaned against the wall, scratching his bare chest.

Shimada looked stunned. Clearly he was not expecting to be greeted by an expanse of broad, hairy chest. Or maybe it was his scars. Either way, more fool him, thought Jesse. He also thought that Hanzo looked good in his exercise clothes. His knee length running tights fit like a second skin and his tank was a band tee shirt with the sleeves cut off and the neck trimmed to a dip. McCree didn’t think Hanzo was the type to listen to the _Iron Wizards._ There was dragon on the logo. Huh.

“Ah...I thought we could start our training with a run.” Hanzo looked strangely flushed.

Jesse considered this. Truth be told, he’d already been up for a while, having spent most of the previous day asleep.

“Yeah, I reckon I could join you for a run. Do me some good to get the heart rate going, ya know?” He smiled pleasantly at Hanzo. “Meetcha at the track, okay?”

Shimada nodded, seemingly reluctant to leave McCree’s doorway.

The morning runs became a regular affair. The pace that Hanzo set always left Jesse puffed, but he could gradually feel the difference in his fitness levels. He kept up the exercise while Hanzo was away on a mission, but truth be told, it was a shade duller without the other man’s company. Jesse was cheered when the away team returned overnight, and was at the track at the regular time.

Hanzo was a no-show. Frowning, Jesse waited, then did several laps around the track before giving up. He jogged about the base and thought he could see Hanzo’s trailing scarf over the cliffs. McCree frowned. It was hours after the team returned. What was Hanzo still doing in his combat gear? Whatever the reason, Jesse could see that Hanzo wanted to be left alone. He’d see him later, he philosophised.

And he did. Hanzo turned up at the post-mission debrief. He worryingly said little and didn’t look at anyone despite the success of the mission. Then Jesse looked at Genji and huffed under his breath. The younger Shimada brother was staring intently at his brother. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Genji had done put his foot in it again. It didn’t surprise him that Hanzo left before the end of the meeting or that Genji soon fled after him.

He did, though, go fetch Hanzo for dinner. It took a few knocks for Jesse to hear movement on the other side. This time, it was Jesse’s turn to receive a treat. It looked like Hanzo had only shed his kyudo-gi and obi, sleeping only in his hakama. Jesse briefly enjoyed the view of Hanzo’s wide and defined pectorals. Hanzo’s torso seemed free of hair and like Jesse’s, was also scarred from years of active combat. His eyes were sleepy and his hair was down in tangled waves. Damn.

“Hey, Shimada-san. Thought I’d wake you up as I didn’t want you to miss out on dinner.”

Hanzo blinked. His stomach grumbled. The archer sighed; the greater part of him won the battle. “I am not presentable. I will be a moment.” He left the door and gathered clothes before heading into the ensuite. Jesse was left standing in the doorway, blinking. “Urh...I’ll just...help tidy up your floor.” Hanzo gave no indication he’d heard.

McCree tugged off his hat as he entered Hanzo’s dorm. It had the same basic furnishings but there was the added addition of a soft rug on the floor, and some Japanese scroll artwork on the walls. There was a digital picture frame on the desk, and a glass paperweight beside it. Jesse picked up the gear on the floor and, not knowing where else to put them, dumped the pile on Hanzo’s bed. He then went to the picture frame and picked it up.

“What time is it?” Hanzo had poked his head through the shower door. “I promised Hana I’d help with her homework.”

Jesse checked the time. “Eh… Mei was only just putting the final touches on dinner. Doubt they’ve even started.”

Hanzo huffed and returned back to showering.

McCree flipped through the photos. There were scenic locales, picturesque trees and mountain tops. Elegant architecture. There were a few group photos, Hanzo in all of them. In some he was wearing suits; in others, he was in the field, dressed in unmarked BDUs. Shimada had a bow in most of the former, and carried guns in the rest. Jesse’s keen eyes also picked out a common denominator in most of the group pictures. There was a tall, slim, blond young man close to Hanzo, either by his side or crouched in front of him, a sniper rifle in his hands.

Hanzo came out of the shower, dressed casually and roughly towelling his hair.

“Is this Adrian?” McCree pointed the young man out in the picture that flicked into view. It was an indoor setting, a classy backdrop of glossy tiles and tasteful flower arrangements. In this picture, the young man was wearing a suit that was much too tailored, too… subtly flamboyant for Jesse’s tastes. Hanzo was sedate in comparison, but Jesse recognised that his friend also had on a stylish suit..

Shimada peered over and snorted. “Yes, that’s the fop. That was at a fashion show his mother had organised. We were running security for it.”

“You? Running security for a fashion show? That’s a bit low-risk for you.”

Hanzo gave him a haunted stare. “Have you ever seen ten models fight over a celery stick? Pray you never live to see such a sight.”

Jesse blinked. “Yeah. I’ll...just take your word for it, okay?” He set the frame down. “Now, got everything? I don’t wanna miss out on Mei’s egg drop soup.”

*

They met at the practice range after Hanzo’s tutoring session. He was still in a casual tee and jeans, but he stripped off his shirt to draw the bow.

Jesse could not say that he disapproved of the sight.

Later, they sat on some rocks, looking out over the Alboran Sea, taking light sips from their flasks.

“Hey, Hanzo.”

“Hm. Yes?”

“I don’t wanna get between you and Genji, but if you just wanna vent, I’m here, y’know?”

Shimada was silent for a while, his dark eyes studying Jesse in the ambient light.

“Thank you. I appreciate the offer.” He raised his flask to take a sip and paused, turning back to Jesse. “The offer is open to you as well. If you need to talk, my ears are open.”

Jesse smiled. “Thank you, kindly.” Hanzo smiled back.

McCree basked in the warmth of Hanzo’s slight smile. Jesse took a chance.

“Hey, Hanzo. You wanna go get-”

He was interrupted by Hanzo’s phone ringing. Shimada looked annoyed. “It’s Adrian. I’ll call him back. What was that you were saying?”

“Naw, answer it. I’d like to meet the fella.”

“You’ll regret it,” said Hanzo, darkly. He answered the call on speaker. “ _Moshi moshi, Adrian-san_.”

“ _Konichiwa, sensei! Ogenki desu ka?_ ”

“I’m well, Adrian. English, please; my friend, McCree, is with us.” Oh yes, Jesse liked hearing that.

“Howdy. Heard a lot about you, Adrian.”

There was a pause. “My god. It worked.”

“Adrian?”

“I just lit a candle to this picture of Clint Eastwood and your saintly cowboy appeared. It is a miracle.”

McCree laughed. Hanzo was enraged. “ _You unbearable brat!_ Don’t call back unless you’ve learned some manners!” Hanzo hung up on Adrian’s peals of laughter.

Hanzo simmered then his phone chirped. “By the heavens. He’s now sending me pictures of adorable animals.”

Jesse laughed again. “Give it here, I wanna see. Aww...lookit this baby leopard. And he sent a pony too.”

Hanzo sighed deeply.

“I think he’s sorry, whatcha think, darlin’?”

“I do not think that he will ever be sorry.” Hanzo didn’t seem to notice the endearment.

“Imma call him back for you.”

“No, don’t!”

Jesse caught Hanzo against his chest and held him there as he rang Adrian back.

“Adrian, it’s McCree.”

A gasp. “You answered my prayers. It is a second miracle!”

“Adrian.” A low growl from Hanzo.

Adrian laughed again. McCree decided he liked the younger man.

“All right, all right, all joking aside, Copper Solutions seems to like our offer. What do you think, Sensei?”

Hanzo gave a huff. “Continue as planned. I trust you to assess their field operations policy. Ensure that they continue to be as clean as they purport.”

“Absolutely.”

Jesse continued to hold Hanzo against his chest, just listening. And miraculously, Hanzo seemed content to stay there.

“And if they kill you in the jungle, I’ll come burn their families for you.”

A sigh from the phone. “Such care my sensei gives to me.”

McCree shifted. “That’s a bit much, innit?”

Hanzo gave a considering sound. “You are right. I’ll send a sternly worded letter instead.”

Adrian made a rude sound over the phone and Jesse chuckled.

“Hey, Adrian. You must know plenty of stories about Hanzo, here.”

“McCree…”

Jesse ignored the warning in Hanzo’s voice. “What’s this about ten models and a celery stick?”

A long pause, then Adrian laughed over Hanzo’s groan.

“Have ever seen a man almost murdered with a stiletto because he took the last celery?”

“Stiletto the knife?”

“No, stiletto the heel.”

Hanzo groaned again.

McCree gave a nervous laugh. “Now I don’t think I wanna know.”

“It’s better told in person anyway. I’ll leave the two of you to it. Goodnight, Sensei, McCree-san.”

Jesse handed the phone back to Hanzo. “The guy’s a hoot.”

“Heh. Yes. He’s very good at being charming.” Hanzo pulled away from Jesse’s chest, his eyes half-hooded with amusement. “And you, McCree-san. What are you intentions?”

Jesse felt his ears go hot. “Urh...I was just gonna see how far it goes.”

Hanzo moved his head closer to his own. “And how far do you want it to go?”

The cowboy felt his throat tighten. “As far as you want it? Ain’t gonna press where I ain’t welcome.” He watched Hanzo’s slow smile unfurl into something catlike.

“What if I were to say that you are very welcome.”

Jesse’s throat was suddenly dry. “I’d, err, ask if you wanted dinner sometime.”

“When and where, Jesse.”

“Friday, seven pm. I’ll pick you up and we’ll go to this place I know in town.”

“Good boy.” Jesse would be lying if that didn’t send a shudder through him. Hanzo stood up. “Until then, I’ll see you tomorrow for our run. Good night, Jesse.” He left the cowboy grinning stupidly at the sea.

*

The next night, Hanzo found Jesse at the practice range. The cowboy lowered his revolver, his brow raised. “Sorted out Genji yet?”

Hanzo sighed. “I think so. I remain forever grateful to Zenyatta and his help.”

“And Adrian?”

“More concerned about me than harsh words directed at himself.”

“Yeah, he seems like a good kid.”

Hanzo laughed. “He’s twenty-five. He would be insulted.”

Jesse grinned, casting his memory to when he himself was twenty-five. “Yeah, it’s a right cocky age. Genji okay, though?”

“Yes, we talked.” Hanzo paused. “He was jealous of Adrian.”

McCree nodded. “Yeah, I can see that. You and Adrian seem close as brothers.”

Hanzo frowned. “He’s not a replacement for Genji.”

“Didn’t say he was. But you can have more than one brother, ya know?”

Shimada nodded, but he looked troubled. “Perhaps...I _am_ too close to Adrian.”

“Naw. That ain’t no one’s business bar yours and the kid’s.”

Hanzo nodded, almost gratefully.

“You wanna sit out by the sea tonight?”

“Yes...but I am, as you say, talked out.”

“That’s okay, partner. I talk enough for the both of us.”

Hanzo’s chuckle warmed Jesse’s heart.

*

Their date went well. Very well. Well enough that Hanzo pulled his head down and made out with him like he was a damn McCree shaped ice pop. Just when Jesse thought that Hanzo was going drag him into his room, he parted with a light slap to his cheek. “Tomorrow, cowboy.” And Hanzo disappeared into the room, the door closing behind him.

Well, if that’s the game Hanzo wanted to play, Jesse wasn’t gonna argue. He stuck his hands in his pockets and went away whistling.

He passed by the open door of Hana’s room. The MEKA pilot had all three of her screens blazing, two with a game and one showing a view of what looked to be a very nice hotel room (it was actually bordering on fancy). Wherever it was, it was the sun was just setting. The view looked over some mountains, and there was the back view of someone out on the balcony, hand in pocket as he spoke on his phone.

Hana was busy in a game fight, her lips pulled back in a cat-like grin. Lucio was on her bed, monitoring her stream chat on his laptop. He waved. “Heya, McCree. Nice threads, bro. Good date?”

Jesse leaned on the doorframe. Nothing could stop his cheerful grin. “Hyup. It was pretty good.”

Lucio laughed. “I’d high five you, man, but I think Adrian would notice and put a hit on me.” He pointed at screen displaying the hotel room scene.

“Huh. Hana and him made friends real quick.”

“Oh yeah. He’s a chill guy for someone who kills people with his bare hands.” Lucio chuckled, tapping out a quick reply on the stream chat.

“That don’t bother you none?”

Lucio squinted. “Not as much as I thought it would? I mean, Hana’s maths tutor can summon awesome cool and _freaky_ dragons, you can put six guys down in less than a second, Soldier can run me down in bare feet...It’s all perspective?”

“I suppose that’s true.” McCree chuckled, patting his pockets for a cigarrillo.

“You back to get owned, scrub?” Jesse tuned to Hana. Despite that her eyes were still glued to her game screens, she’d noticed that Adrian had returned to his computer.

“Christ, that mouth on you.” This close, Jesse could see that his eyes were a dirty green behind his fine-rimmed glasses. “I’ll remember that the next time you need homework help.”

“What’s that? I can’t hear you Mr. I’m Still-Working-on-My-Undergrad.”

Jesse chuckled at the young folk and ambled away.

*

“Gonna be quiet here with Genji and the kids on mission.”

“Mmm.” Hanzo gave a noncommittal hum.

“Don’t quite know what I can do with myself.”

Hanzo gave him a considering look then reached over to his small book collection. “Here.”

Jesse looked down with bemusement at the book. _Basho: A Collection_ stared back up at him. “Urh…”

“It is book of haiku by a celebrated poet. They are sublimely beautiful.” Hanzo turned back to his number crunching.

Jesse flopped back down on Hanzo’s bed. Damn. So much for subtle hints. He lifted his head hopefully at Hanzo’s bowed back, then dropped it back down when he saw that interacting with Jesse was the last thing on his mind. He suppressed a sigh and opened the book. It was thankfully a translated volume, the original in kanji and the translation in English on two facing leaves.

He lasted about ten minutes before the book fell onto his face. McCree jerked awake, blinking. Hanzo was still at his numerous tablets, head in hand as he looked over his business accounts.

Jesse tried again.

“Clouds come from time to time,” he murmured. “And bring to men a chance to rest from looking at the moon.”

He dropped the book on his chest, his arms coming behind his head. “Huh.” Jesse just stared at the ceiling thinking about cool desert nights with large bright moon overhead. He still had the image of a large golden moon in his head when the bed dipped beside him. He peeked open one eye to see Hanzo pluck the book off his chest and set it aside.

Jesse quirked a crooked smile. “Hey there, gorgeous. Didja find something more interesting than a bunch of bank accounts?”

“Hmm... a little more interesting.” Hanzo propped himself on his elbow. The both of them had their legs hanging off the side of the bed. “So, I believe that you were wondering what you could do with yourself earlier.”

“You got any suggestions, darlin’?”

“One or two.” Hanzo sat up and straddled Jesse in smooth move.

Jesse rested his hands on Hanzo’s thighs. “Well now, this here is an interesting proposition.”

“Please explain.” Hanzo started unbuttoning his plaid shirt.

“Well, I kinda feel a little bit used.”

“Do you?” Hanzo reached the last button and pulled the shirt out of his jeans, revealing McCree’s wide torso. “Should I stop?” He rested his hands on Jesse’s chest.

“Maybe I like being used.” Jesse reached up brush his knuckles against Hanzo’s face before moving to tug off Hanzo’s hair tie. Dark locks tumbled to his shoulders. McCree smiled. “You’re a sight, darlin’. I could just lie here and look at you.”

Hanzo quirked a brow. “Well, if you just want to look.” He rolled his hips deliberately back over Jesse’s slowly hardening cock.

The cowboy swallowed then felt his jaw slacken as Hanzo pulled off his close fitting tee. He raised his hand to trace the intricacies of Hanzo’s tattoo only to have his hand swatted away.

“You said you only wanted to look.”

Lord have mercy. “You’re killin’ me, darlin’.”

Hanzo hummed again, his hands gripping Jesse’s by the wrists and holding them above the cowboy’s head. “No. I don’t think I am. Not yet, at any rate.” Then he bent low and lightly kissed Jesse on the lips. Hanzo controlled the pace, and Jesse had no trouble keeping up. He started slow, passing his lips over Jesse’s, his tongue slowly teasing. Jesse jerked his head upwards, trying to quicken the pace, but Hanzo only chuckled and withdrew completely. Jesse dropped his head back with a soft huff, then gasped as Hanzo started kissing his chest, alternating between pressing soft kisses and sharp nips on Jesse’s skin.

“Darlin’, babe, sugar, c’mon, stop teasing me.”

Hanzo ground into Jesse’s groin in response. Jesse muffled an oath, his back arching. Hanzo let him go, hands working first at his own belt and jean fastenings. Freed, Jesse’s hands also flew to his own jeans, releasing his aching cock only for Hanzo to pass his flat palm over his thick length. Jesse let out a low, pleased sigh, reaching up to press his hands on Hanzo’s body.

McCree delighted in touching his lover’s body. The other man had as many scars as he did. He pulled Hanzo down for another kiss, while his hands marked the badges of many fights. The starburst of a bullet wound here, the slash of knife cuts there, the uneven terrain of a bad burn, even a few smattering of cigarette burns. Even better, Hanzo was ticklish. Jesse chuckled as the other man jerked from a light touch. Hanzo scowled and fisted his cock in payment.

Oh fuck.

Jesse gasped and moaned as Hanzo’s thumb played with the sensitive underside of his cock, just under the weeping head. His lover nipped at his jaw as he bucked, Jesse’s large hands cupping Hanzo’s tight arse.

“Babe, I wanna get the rest of our clothes off.”

Hanzo fucking hummed in a thoughtful manner.

“Your suggestion has merit.” Oh thank Christ, his voice had gone deep and husky. He was only _playing_ cool. Hanzo got off and toed off his loafers before pushing off his jeans.

Fuck. Yeah.

Jesse grinned and kicked off his boots before shucking off his own jeans. He lay there as Hanzo stood over him, hands on his hips, his uncut cock proud and flush against his highly defined abs. The archer’s dark, keen eyes dragged down Jesse’s body. “You like being used, hmm?”

“Y-yeah.” Aw, shit. Stammering like a schoolboy. “How d’ya want me, Hanzo?”

Hanzo’s eyes had never been darker. “On your hands and knees, cowboy.”

Well, shit. If that wasn’t the hottest thing he’d ever heard. Jesse couldn’t get into position quick enough, presenting his arse to Hanzo. There was a pleasant slap on his butt. Jesse laughed, looking over his shoulder. Hanzo rustled in his bedside drawer and pulled out a tube and a square foil packet. Jesse grinned widely and pressed his face against the blanket. Hanzo seemed to be taking his sweet time, first opening foil, then a few seconds later, popping the cap of a bottle. Jesse tried not to wiggle his butt like a happy pup. He felt Hanzo’s warm, calloused hand on his hip, then pressure against his entrance. Jesse sighed.

“That’s it, sugar. Nice and easy. Been a while for ol’ Jesse.”

“You are in good hands, Jesse.” Was that a purr? Then he couldn’t suppress the low, hungry moan as Hanzo slipped a finger inside of him. Hanzo took care as he slicked up the cowboy, drawing out moans and collecting them like rare gems. First one finger, then another, and another until Jesse was begging to be properly fucked.

“You ask so nicely,” said Hanzo. There was a hitch in his voice now. Jesse could feel the other man settling in behind him, using his knees to widen Jesse’s legs just the way he liked it. Hanzo’s condom-covered cock was pressed against his lovingly prepped hole then slowly pushed in.

They moaned together and didn’t stop moaning until Hanzo slowly bottomed out.

They stayed there a moment, gasping and panting until Jesse needed more.

“Babe,” groaned Jesse. “Please move.”

Hanzo didn’t bother to reply with words. The pace he set was urgent and hard. Jesse guessed with what few brain cells he had left that it had been a while for the archer too. Jesse babbled as he was fucked. “There, there, yeah, there, babe, sugar, gorgeous, perfect, perfect, yes.” Hanzo was silent, his hands gripping Jesse’s hips hard enough to leave bruises. Jesse loved it.

“Sugar, I’m close,” Jesse gasped, reaching for his own cock. Hanzo’s hand was there first.

“I didn’t say you could touch yourself.” There was a hard thrust for his sins. Jesse’s eyes rolled back, and there was another hard thrust. Hanzo’s hand worked rapidly on his hot, throbbing cock. Jesse needed more, more, more and the next thing he knew, he was coming all over his stomach and Hanzo’s blanket and Hanzo was stiffening and crying out. He collapsed beside Jesse, curled around the larger man’s back. It took a little while for Jesse to decide he had his brain cells back.

“Hey, sugar?”

A questioning grunt, and the whisper of lips and the rough brush of beard against the back of his neck, the tightening of arms around him. Fuck yeah. Hanzo was a cuddler.

“Ya can get back to your numbers now. I’m good for attention.”

Jesse knew he totally deserved the pillow thwack.

*

A month later, Jesse stood numbly as he listened to the confirmation that Hanzo was MIA.

“I shoulda gone with him.”

“Hanzo-san can take care of himself.” McCree had called Adrian just for someone to talk to.

The younger man was typing something out on his end. “Do you know why he went?”

“Nah. He only said something about checking the accounts in Marseilles. He didn’t think he’d be gone for long.”

“He hasn’t _got_ accounts in Marseilles.” Normally light and cheerful, the strain was showing in Adrian’s voice. “What was he _doing_? And why didn’t he wait for you to get better?”

Jesse checked Peacekeeper again. Newly cleaned, she was ready for trouble. “I told him to go ahead. I didn’t want to hold back his business.” His prosthetic hand clenched unconsciously.

“What’s your ETA? I’m landing in Heathrow soon, that sodding pile of humanity.”

“Looks like we’re gonna be ready to head off in six hours. Yer a little outta sorts there, Adrian-san.”

“Yes. I’m upset and annoyed. I’ll see you in Marseilles. Please don’t forget to bring all of Hanzo’s tablets that he left behind. I’ll need to examine them. I’ll be taking a nap on the flight over. Good night, McCree-san.”

It sorta amused Jesse how they fell back on Hanzo’s mannerisms. “Yeah, good night, Adrian-san.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Next week sees Genji and the gang in France where they meet Adrian. Stuff happens. Genji is a shit. Hannah is a brat. See you then!


	7. A French Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji and the gang meet up with Adrian in Marsailles. 
> 
> Genji is a shit. Hana is a brat. Adrian has a plan and is kidnapped.
> 
> Also, Adrian lies a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to [evanelric](http://archiveofourown.org/users/evanelric) for the beta, and thanks to everyone for the kudos and comments! I'm so glad that you are all enjoying my little story.

The door creaked open, first for a peep, then it was pulled open fully. Genji got his first real life look at Adrian Everard.

The Westerner was a young man in his mid-twenties with medium blond hair, dirty green eyes, an affable handsome face with a lean nose, and a narrow chin. He was as tall as McCree or Morrison but was about half the muscle bulk of either. He was a slim figure in a matte black suit, slate-grey shirt, with fine-rimmed glasses on his face and and an awful tie at his neck. That was what Genji noticed first: the black tie with the riot of electric blue dragons. It was something Hanzo would choose.

Something was off. It didn’t match the overall look of careful elegance.

“Adrian!” Hana flung herself at Hanzo’s student before Genji could stop her. Actually, she flung her arms around both of his. He looked down at her and laughed.

“Nicely played. Now let go, I need to put the gun away.”

Hana popped her gum at him and winked, dropping her arms. That was when Genji noticed it. It was a P90 machine gun in the same matte black as Adrian’s suit, held close to his leg in a gloved hand that was also matte black. It would only have given him a few seconds before anyone else had noticed but it was a few more seconds of readiness before anyone else would have gotten their weapons up. Hana only noticed because she was at the right height.

Genji made a private note: Adrian was good at urban camouflage.

“You must be Genji-san.” A low nod which Genji returned. Adrian gave no indication that he carried a grudge over the name calling. “Come on in, I’ll open the garage door.” Adrian stepped back, his thumb flicking the switch on the safety before placing the gun on a high shelf next to the door. Genji slid past Hanzo’s student and into the inner room.

This was what Adrian called a safe house. It was a large cavernous building made out of brick. It had a warehouse-like interior. Hana and Jack had already been here to collect a truck to transport Hana’s MEKA unit. McCree, Ana and Soldier:76 were in said truck, waiting for the double doors to open for them. There were an assortment of vehicles in the building. Genji could see the shapes of at least two sports cars under cloth covers, a van and the shapes of a few hovercycles.

“Hup!” Hana jumped onto Adrian’s back and he comfortably carried her slight weight around as he pulled the heavy reinforced doors open.

“Oof! You’re so uncomfortable. Just how many guns do you have under that coat?”

“Real subtle, Ms. Song.” Adrian waved the truck in. It was dark outside, the team moving into the town under the cover of darkness. While there was a tarp over the MEKA unit, it was still a very strange shape. Adrian patiently endured Hana’s hands patting his chest, a slight smile on his face. He waited for the truck to pull in, then locked the doors behind. He eyed the cloth-covered MEKA with a raised brow, and Genji eyed him.

“Hana, introduce me to your friends,” he said as Morrison, Ana and Jesse got out.

“Well! You met Genji, he’s got that weird thing against you. You’ve talked to St. McCree over there. That’s Jack in the mask, he was here earlier, and that’s Ana, who’s a sniper. And guys! This is Adrian, and he’s got some weird body armour under his shirt and two guns in shoulder holsters too!” Hana squeezed him in a back-stabbing hug.

Adrian merely looked even more amused. “Oh, little sister. I have not even begun to show you my cards.” He turned back to the assembled team. “Adrian Everard, freelance professional, codename L'inconnu, at your service. I have the honour of having Shimada Hanzo as my mentor.”

McCree snorted. “Good t’ finally meet you in the flesh, Adrian-san. Ya can call me Jesse.” Adrian inclined his head.

“Then Adrian is sufficient as well.” He turned to Ana. “A sniper? Long range marksmanship is also one of my skills.”

“You don’t say.” Ana looked him up and down. “Young man, that is an awful tie for such a nice suit.”

Adrian’s smile never shifted. It remained friendly with a slight hint of amusement. “I rescued Hanzo-san from this tie. I love the man but while he does have exquisite taste in most things, his preference for electric blue dragons marks him still as Yakuza trash.”

There was silence, then Jesse chuckled. “Yer still mad, ain’t cha, kid?”

“I am furious.” Adrian smiled as he removed his hands from supporting Hana, who wrapped her legs around his middle instead. He tugged the tie off with care and rolled it before sticking it in his back pocket. “And Jack in the mask, you’ve yet to speak. Have I met your expectations?”

The red visor turned in his direction. “I know the skillset of everyone here except for yours. Just saying you’re Hanzo’s student isn’t going to cut it unless I know your combat proficiencies.”

“Jack,” Hana said in a stage whisper. “I was wrong. He’s got three guns under his jacket.” She patted his arms. “I think he’s got some knives too.”

Adrian ignored her. “I will be happy to give you a brief of my skills and capabilities as you get settled.” He gestured to the right where there were several doors. “There’s cots in those rooms, and a store of French 24 hour combat rations in the storage room as well as bottled water.” He gestured to the left. “That’s a small area for a gym. There’s a boxing bag, mats and a few other things I’ve forgotten, and a shower and other necessities in the room beside. I apologise for the rough living, but I can’t trust my usual apartment here, not until it has been checked out for eyes, and I believe that is one of the first places we look at. Hanzo-san would have stayed there while here.

“But the real reason I’d like us to hole up here is that there’s a tunnel leading away towards the sea. Just in case.”

Jack grunted. “We’ll see. Song, get your MEKA off the truck. Genji, run a perimeter check. Everard, prepare the brief on your apartment. The rest of you, unpack.”

Genji peeled off the hoodie and sweats he was wearing before setting in the pieces of his mask. He had the rare, smug pleasure of Adrian’s brief stunned expression at his body before it smoothed out into a blank expression.  Adrian caught Genji’s eye and pointed to the ladder leading up to the roof. Yes, that was handy. Genji wished the blond man would stop being so helpful. Genji only stayed long enough to watch Adrian easily lift Hana off his back and set her on her feet before the cyborg scaled the ladder and went through the roof access.

It was a warm July night, barely kept cool by the breeze that came up from the sea, not that Genji could feel it from behind his mask just now. From the weather reports, they had beaten the latest heatwave by a few days. It was warm and humid enough that Genji was glad for his mask and filters. He looked over the side of the warehouse. It was a good twenty to twenty-five foot drop. The warehouse was beside an empty lot, and there were two more such like buildings behind and to the other side. It was a quiet area. There were no bars, restaurants or residences for a few blocks, no real reason for people to be wandering by at night.

Genji scowled that Adrian found a good location for his safe house. A perfect student for his perfect brother who got himself perfectly into trouble. He was tempted to just slink off and do his own investigation and it pained Genji to admit that he needed Adrian’s help. He sighed in frustration and dimmed his lights before launching to the next building, a barely-there shadow against the night sky. He spent a good half hour checking the surrounding buildings and alleyways and didn’t spot anything suspicious. There were a few homeless about, but they looked genuine and Genji let them be. He marked a few spots on his internal mapping software where he would need to return with surveillance cameras for an early warning system, but he returned to the safe house without incident.

He dropped soundlessly back into the safehouse, landing neatly beside a drape covered motorcycle. Adrian’s back was to him, his jacket off and hanging on the back of a folding chair. Genji could now clearly see the three guns Hana was talking about. There was the expected shoulder holsters and another in an unattached holster tucked into his back waistband, all military grade Sig Sauer pistols. He was standing, his hand on a tablet on the table, a butterfly knife flicking and dancing in his other hand.

Adrian was alone and Genji could see the others moving in the designated room for sleeping.

“Is it all quiet on the Western Front?”

Genji tilted his head, not expecting Adrian to have noticed him. He padded softly to the other side of the table.

“There is no trouble, as far as I could see.”

“Good. I hope to remain undetected, but I suspect that my entry into Marseilles may have been noticed I hope that this location remains secret, for now.”

Genji’s green gaze bore into the younger man. “You suspect.”

“I do not have the advantage of a private airfield. While I did come in on a chartered flight, there might still be surveillance that I am not aware of. I am not sure who has sensei, but if they think they have the freelance professional known as Okami, then they will surely expect Okami’s student.”

“As opposed to maybe...the yakuza leader of the Shimada-gumi?” It was at the tip of Genji’s tongue to just spill on Hanzo’s relationship with Overwatch, but he waited for a better moment.

“Who knows. I am just hoping that he hasn’t been picked up by legitimate authority. Then again, sensei knows better than to do that.” Adrian looked up past Genji and behind him. Genji turned to see the rest of the crew file out of the sleeping room. Genji turned back, expectantly. Adrian tapped his tablet and a holographic display lit up over the table. The flipping butterfly knife stilled and disappeared into a pocket.

“Neat. Can you teach me how to do that?”

“It’s easy. You take the knife and just put it in your pocket.”

Hana gave him a flat stare. Adrian affably smiled back. He gestured to the group to gather around the table. “I’ve tried to make this as concise and as informative as possible.” He pointed at the display. “My apartment.” A location map, an exterior of the building, and the interior floor plan with all the rooms labeled. There were four rooms beside the living area and kitchen space. Two rooms for Hanzo and Adrian, a guest room, and a gym.

“This is what I suggest. I suggest that between the six of us, we split into teams of three. I would be in one team to lead away any eyes, and two others to back me up. The other team to enter the apartment and collect video and still imagery. I do not know what you will find inside. I suggest two to investigate while one other stays out on the street as backup.”

“I think that I will keep my eye on you.” Ana raised a brow at Adrian.

“Then I will attempt to behave.” Adrian smiled.

“I, too, will accompany you.” Genji wanted to see what Hanzo’s student was made of.

“Guess that means it’s me, the gremlin and Jack.”

Adrian nodded. He tapped the tablet again. “On conjecture, I surmise that the following agencies might have Hanzo-san. The local authorities, Interpol, one of the local gangs, the remnants of Shimada-gumi, the remnant forces of various warlords that would hold a grudge.”

Jack grunted. “Impressive. Add Talon to that list.”

Adrian gave Jack a slow look. “Why would your agency have entanglements with Talon.” A flat question.

Jack looked back at him through his mask. “Because we are Overwatch agents.”

Genji took delight at the stunned look on Adrian’s face. He watched as a series of complex emotions flitted across the blond man’s face. “I _see._ ” Genji watched with interest as Adrian’s rising anger was slowly pushed back and walled away until he seemed once more a calm and collected individual. The next look he directed at Jack was keen and calculating. “First name Jack. Age approximately sixty. About the right height and build. Jack Morrison, I presume. The rumours of your death have been widely exaggerated.”

“Er...whoops. I should have introduced him with his codename?” Hana appeared only half contrite.

Jack didn’t say a thing. He continued his staredown of Adrian.

“You got a problem with us being Overwatch?”

“Oh no. No problem at all. But I do take exception when your illegal status will be acted upon by world governments and you and my sensei will subsequently be tossed into black sites with the deepest, darkest pit that humanity can conjure.” The suppressed anger seeped through, with biting fury. “But that is neither here nor there. Do my suggestions meet your criteria?”

“I’d like t’know the route you’d take.”

Adrian nodded at McCree, and tapped the next image in his presentation. The route he proposed to take was outlined. “I propose that Ms. Ana as my sniper position herself here on this building. Genji, I suspect that you will be trailing me from the roofs?” He was regaining his composure with every word.

Genji nodded. “And what if no one follows you?”

“I had not thought of that. But if they’re not from Hanzo-san’s freelance work, then they must be against Overwatch. In that case…” He paused, rubbing his neck and gave Genji a look. “They might be looking for someone on your team. You and I swap roles. We keep the same route so that Ana can cover us each way. Either way, we lead away the watchers so that the infiltration team can do their work. A secondary objective would be to follow the watchers back after they’ve lost us to locate their base.”

“As for the infiltration team, please grab any papers and tablets if any, and his weapons.” Adrian stuck one hand in a pocket and absently flipped out his butterfly knife with the other.

“Kid, that’s an annoying habit.”

Adrian smiled, but addressed Ana instead. “Are you going to cover me with that little rifle of yours?” The knife folded with a snap only to be given to Hana when she held her hand out.

“Little rifle? Young man, you are too cheeky.”

“Would madame like to sample my toys? I would feel much better.” Adrian raised his brows.

“Hmm. Show me what you’ve got.”

Genji watched as the blond man led Ana away to where some heavy duty crates lay stacked, then at McCree and Hana who went to investigate the store of ration packs. “Morrison, what do you think?”

The red visor turned. “The kid’s cocky, but looks like he wants your brother safe. That’s as far as I trust him.” They looked over to where the blond assassin was assembling a rifle that was as tall as Ana. They were chatting animatedly with Adrian having recovered his good humour and Ana, who seemed to be charmed despite herself.

“I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Morrison snorted. “We all know you will.”

Genji was saved from replying when Jesse and Hana came out with several boxes of rations.

“All right. This is what we’re going to do. We’ll follow freelance agent L'inconnu’s plan. We stick with codenames on mission. I’m Solider Seventy-Six, Hana goes by D.Va. Ana, McCree and Genji are as-is. Eat and conclude your preparations. We leave in an hour.”

*

Genji hated that Adrian seemed to know what he was doing. The younger man had been given a communicator and he and Genji helped Ana to her high vantage point where she was now patting Adrian’s rifle proprietarily. The infiltration team were waiting around the corner from the apartment in the van. They would enter the building when given the all-clear from Genji. That would happen after Adrian had led any watchers away.

Right now, Genji and Adrian were making their first pass by of the apartment. Genji was a silent shadow on the roofs. Adrian’s apartment was on the Rue de la République, a two-way road with wide footpaths on either side. It was in one of the grand looking old buildings that lined the road. The plan was Adrian would appear to have just arrived into the city. He would drag with him his rolling carryon case and enter the building. After waiting some time, he would exit the building and travel on foot. He would stay in an area that was covered by Ana. It was a decent plan, and one that Genji wished he could find some flaw in.

Adrian never made it to the apartment.

But Genji did enjoy the brief look of surprise on the blond man’s face as a pedestrian behind him pulled a black bag over his head. Additional men piled out of a black van and pulled the assassin in. The van drove off.

“This is Agent Genji, unknown persons have abducted Agent L’inconnu.” Genji was certain he was butchering the word.

A grunt from the other end. Soldier 76 replied. “Are there any more watchers?”

“Negative.

“Keep him in sight while we complete mission. We need ten minutes.”

“Understood.”

Genji was already on the move. “Did you hear that? Ten minutes.”

There was no answer from Adrian’s end. Perhaps his earpiece had been taken away. Perhaps he couldn’t answer. Either way, his brother’s student was going to have to sit tight. Genji flew across the rooftops on silent feet then, dropped to the ground in an alley where a couple of hovercycles waited. He tugged on a jacket for camouflage and hopped on one of the bikes. He zoomed out, tailing the van.

Genji hung back, going slow on the narrow city streets and keeping at least two vehicles between himself and the black van. Adrian’s abductors didn’t seem to have spotted him yet as they drove almost leisurely on the night roads. The black van travelled north out of the city. Traffic got lighter and the roads narrower and darker as they headed into the hills to the north-east of the city. Genji flicked off his own vehicle’s lights and travelled dark, still keeping pace. It wasn’t long after that Genji got the call from Seventy-Six..

“Infiltration team are out. What’s the update on L’inconnu’s situation?”

“The situation is unchanged. I will extract him now.”

Genji kicked the speed up and caught up with the van. Shuriken appeared in his hand and he flicked them with pinpoint accuracy at the van’s hoverblades. First one, then another, they blew out and the back of the van dropped suddenly with a bang. The van dragged bright sparks before the brakes took hold. Genji pulled his cycle up and launched himself into the air. Two figures stepped out of the front of the van. It was the work of nothing to take out the driver, then the passenger. Someone yelled from the van and the side door slid open. Genji flipped back into the trees. Three figures stepped out, guns in hands. They looked more like local thugs than Talon agents.

Easy pickings.

Genji was the wind and shadow, too quick for them to even put up the barest of defence. It took less than five seconds for the three thugs to hit the ground groaning. His wakizashi in hand, Genji looked into the van. There was a limp body on the floor of the van, his hands cuffed in front of him and a black hood over his head.

Genji reached into grab him by the arm. Adrian was quick. Uncoordinated and blind, but quick. The kick shot up. It missed Genji by miles. He kept a firm grip on Adrian and pulled him out by both arms. “Adrian-san. It is Genji.” Adrian’s legs couldn’t hold him up. He collapsed against Genji. He pulled off the hood. Adrian had lost his glasses, his eyes were unfocused and his face was pale.

“Genji? How did you get here?”

“I flew.” Genji heaved the taller man to his feet. “Can you question them?”

Adrian blinked blankly at him, swayed and lost his balance. Genji caught him. Drugged. Perfect.

Adrian then looked at the groaning bodies on the ground. “Imma lean on you. Then I step on them. Is that right?” He slurred something in French at one of the men then paused. “Wait. What am I asking them?”

“ _Aho!_ You are asking who they work for!”

“You are not nice. That is not nice. Even if you can fly and are cool.” He looked down at a thug who was trying to crawl away. “ _Qui vous a embauchés?_ ” Still leaning on Genji, Adrian carefully stepped on the man’s knee and pressed down.

Genji had to admit to being impressed. It took a lot of concentration when drugged to your eyeballs to know how to deliberately hurt someone with the least amount of effort.

Adrian groaned, resting his head against the side of Genji’s helm. “Christ, he’s loud.” He waited for the screaming to stop before slurring something again. The answer caused Adrian to sigh and press his foot down on the man’s floating rib.

“Can’t get anything else from this one. His mouth stuff too screamy.”

“Then why did you cause him more pain?”

Adrian swayed drunkenly. “Because… because… it’s part of the script. Yeah? Break bones until their friends talk. Right? What the fuck did they give me?” He shook his head then groaned. “Which one is best awake?”

Genji sighed and went to help Adrian break more bones. It wasn’t very successful. With one interrogator drugged, and another who couldn’t speak a word of French, they didn’t get very far. The last thug ran into the trees, leaving his only remaining coherent friend to scream " _Le chinois_!" over and over.

“He’s saying ‘pants’. Like chino. I don’t know any more.”

Genji thought it was time to head on back to the safe house after Adrian bent over and emptied out his guts. He guided him to the cycle, buckling a little. Adrian was heavier than he looked. He was babbling now.

“You can fly. That… is very cool. I may throw up again.”

Genji kept the cuffs on Adrian’s wrists because there was no way the blond man could hold on to him in his state. Genji helped Adrian on the cycle before sliding on himself, and he looped Adrian’s cuffed wrists over his head to rest around his waist.

“This is Genji, L’inconnu has been retrieved.”

“Good job. Pat him down for trackers.”

“Affirmative.” He’ll do that later down the road. Genji wanted to be away from the place incase the authorities arrived.

Genji kicked the hovercycle back to life and headed back to the city. Adrian draped on his back, his head slumped forward, gently bumping against Genji’s helmet.

“You’re not very comfortable to hug,” he mumbled.

“Hn. That could be because I am a cyborg ninja.”

“That...is rough, mate. Very cool. But still rough.” Genji fought back a flash of old anger at those careless words. He had to tell himself that the younger man now had no control over what he said. Then Adrian continued: “Hanzo-san is so lucky to have a cool cyborg ninja brother. He doesn’t need anyone else. So fucking cool.” Adrian slumped forward, succumbing to the drug again.

Genji was left with an overwhelming sense of confusion, dissatisfaction and a long ride home by himself.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Here's an old drawing of my old character that Adrian was based on.](https://images-2.discordapp.net/.eJwNyMENwyAMAMBdGAAjQx2abRAgQkVihN1Xld2be97PfNcwuzlUp-wApUvmVawor9Sqbcxt1DS72MwnJNWUj7NeKoAe3csFR-TQhS3E91P0FGII0RP5uCHMxaW3NIQv-5nN3H-TDSRX.3ZfkzN4oWn5csUdnjkrgO2c5vZY)
> 
> French 24hr Combat Rations are [nothing short of amazing.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYUpUOThRgY)
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Next chapter: Shell Game
> 
> Swordfights, angry men, sneaky stuff and Genji and Adrian being shits, and Hana being a brat.


	8. Shell Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji pushes and Adrian is pushed.
> 
> Sword fights!
> 
> Data analysis!
> 
> Oh gosh, Hana is a brat!
> 
> And was that a shell game?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to [evanelric](http://archiveofourown.org/users/evanelric) for the beta, and thanks to everyone for the kudos and comments! I'm so glad that you are all enjoying my little story.

 

Genji stopped twice on the way back to the safe house. Once to let a reviving Adrian empty his gut again. And to check him for tracking devices. The next time to let Adrian dry heave painfully. The blond’s strength was returning and he could grip on to Genji on his own power so Genji cut the cuffs off.

Adrian was nevertheless seedy and groggy as they pulled up into the safe house. Genji took a roundabout route to shake off any tails. Adrian was still barely able to hold himself upright. Jesse came up and helped him off.

“What happened to you, kid?”

Adrian shook his head. “Injected in the neck. They knew about my armour.” He stumbled, with McCree’s help, to a chair and sat heavily. Hana set down her handheld gaming unit to poke him in the face.

“They were local thugs, not Talon.” Genji shrugged, feeling that he should be generous. “We couldn’t get much out of them.”

Jesse shook his head. “C’mon, kid, let’s get you to bed.” He helped Adrian up. The blond swayed and Hana took his other side.

“No, got work t’do.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“No… need to find sensei.” Adrian stumbled and would have fallen if Jesse didn’t have his arm in a firm grip.

“I want him back, too. C’mon. Bed’s this way.” They disappeared into the sleeping area. 

Ana joined him and Jack. “What did you think about the hired goons?”

“They’re not very good fighters but they’re experienced kidnappers.”

Ana nodded. “I had my eye on the boy all the way. He didn’t see them coming. _ I  _ didn’t see them coming. I find this very interesting.”

“We were all taken by surprise. What did the infiltration team find?”

Jack gestured at a table against the wall and Genji looked. “Oh.” The Storm Bow lay in two pieces. There was also a katana and a wakizashi in a pretty, but gaudy, white and red. Genji didn’t touch them. “I had thought that brother had given up the sword.”

“They found those in Everard’s room.”

Interesting.

“Nothing that can be questioned until tomorrow.”

“Geeze louise, kid. How many layers do you have?”

Genji peered into the sleeping area. Hana and Jesse were helping the blond man undress. 

His suit jacket and shirt were on the cot and Hana was helping with the unfastening the set of forearm bracers. He wore those over a long sleeved reinforced stab-proof shirt. Jesse was curiously plucking weapons from the jacket’s pockets. 

“Kid, you ever get the feeling you’re over prepared?”

Adrian shrugged, kicking off his shoes and pushing down his trousers. More light and flexible armour. Genji shrugged and headed back out to the main room. There were many mysteries that could only be solved in the morning. For now, he grabbed the bag of cameras and headed out to set out the early warning perimeter.

*

Genji wondered if anyone got sleep that night. Almost everyone was up by the time he came out of his own rest cycle (he refused to call it recharge mode). Adrian was just stirring in his cot, Hana was cocooned in blankets and her games, but Jack, Ana and Jesse’s cots were empty. 

The dull thud of a punching bag being worked on indicated where one of the three were. Genji rolled out of bed, reflexively making sure his visor was still attached before reaching for his weapons. He made his way out of the sleeping area. He could see McCree over in the exercise area beyond the main room, and Jack and Ana had extracted breakfast from the remains of the previous night’s ration boxes. It looked like they both were lucky enough to grab the chocolate muesli. Genji opted for a pack of biscuits and some a tin of cheese spread for his breakfast. 

“Ana and I will be doing some recon this morning,” Jack said without preamble, unlike Ana, who smiled a good morning when he sat himself at the table. 

“That’s right. We’re going to do some recon in that pretty little Porsche.” She indicated the blue convertible that was peeking out from under a dust sheet. “And purchasing some fresh provisions. Possibly even a fan or two. It will get warm in here in the day.” 

“I am getting the feeling that you are not taking all of this very seriously.” 

Jack grunted. “Show me where to look and what to look for and I’ll get to it. Until then it’s watch and wait.” He sipped his coffee.

Adrian wandered out, wearing a tank top and stirruped workout tights. He was carrying a bottle of talcum powder and two balls of cotton rope. There was the hint of an orange and yellow tattoo on the back of his right shoulder. Genji tried not to stare. He looked so  _ normal _ with sleep mussed hair and out of the suits. Even the scars on his arms didn’t detract from his overall normalcy.

“Where’s the killer smile gone, handsome boy?” By the heavens. Was Ana flirting?

Adrian looked over. The smile appeared. “Never far, lovely lady.” The change was subtle; this was the Adrian that met them yesterday. “Gentlemen.” Then his eyes wandered over the the table where the broken Storm Bow and katana and wakizashi laid and he immediately closed off his expressions. 

“Pardon me.” He made his way into the exercise area.

“No. Wait. What are you running away from?” Genji stood from his seat. His mask was still on, hiding his features.  He could see Jesse coming out of that room to lean casually against the open arch. 

Adrian turned. Genji could see the unwillingness to answer in his taut stance. “My sensei’s weapon is broken. I don’t know the circumstances . It could have been a fight. It could be a message. I cannot process that right now, my brain is not yet ready.”

“And the swords? They’re not Hanzo’s.”

“No, of course they’re not.” Genji didn’t expect the admission. “They’re mine. I haven’t used them in years. Sensei must have decided it was time I worked on my sword discipline again.”

Easy enough answers. Adrian’s stance and tone indicated that this was not a stressful topic. Still...

“Take them up, then.”

Adrian frowned. “May I warm up, at least?” Resistance. Genji pressed the advantage.

“No. Now.” 

He could see Ana raise a hand but Jack stopped her. Jesse had pulled on his gunbelt while no one was watching. Even Hana had gotten out of bed. 

Adrian stood, studying him. They studied each other, facing each other head-on for all there was a table in the way. 

“Very well.”

Adrian never dropped his gaze from Genji. He went to the table, set down his things and untied the obi that held them together. It was a red belt, to match the white and red hilt and saya. He expertly tied the obi in the manner of a swordsman, his hands remembering the motion well. He slid the swords into the belt.Genji noticed two things. Hanzo didn’t teach Adrian that. Hanzo had not been Adrian’s sword teacher. Neither of the motions where in the manner of Hanzo’s teachings. 

Genji also immediately saw his mistake. He had made this challenge about him and not the swords. He had to rectify this. He moved around the table, and Adrian backed up until he had reached an open part in the room, never lifting his eyes away from Genji. They both knew that Genji had the advantage. Adrian was only human, unenhanced as far as Genji could see. He had no armour, he was barefoot, and he was years out of practice if what he said was true. He still stood as if Genji was a threat. Whatever else he was, Adrian was also a warrior. He was treating this as if this was a fight of life and limb. Genji could respect that. 

That wasn’t the type of fight that Genji had in mind.

“Keep it friendly, ya’hear.” 

Neither of them answered McCree. 

Genji had no facial ticks for Adrian to read. Then again, Adrian was as much a wall as he was. His eyes were steady and his face was still. There was no trembling of nerves or laboured breathing. 

They stood at ready.

Then they moved. 

Adrian drew first, but Genji was faster with his odachi. Genji swung with an aggressive strike but Adrian’s swing was in a defensive posture. The blades met in the air, the clang of steel on steel echoed through the warehouse. Quicker than Adrian could react, Genji ran his blade down the length of Adrian’s sword until his guard met Adrian’s tsuba and he forced the two swords up. 

“You are the strangest swordsman. You have not even looked at your blades.”

There. The twitch of the eyes.

“I have known these swords all my life, I don’t need to look at them.”

Adrian disengaged, parrying around Genji’s sword, then bringing his sword in a slash across Genji’s stomach. It was easily deflected. Adrian was obviously rusty, but no, the whole thing was a feint to draw his wakizashi in his right hand. 

A pity he was so out of practice. Adrian had speed and reach. There was promise. It was not possible for him to be as quick as Genji, but there was still promise.

Genji would have liked to spar with him in different circumstances.

“You’ve not seen them for years and you’ve not even looked at them to check their condition.” 

“They’re good steel. I knew they wouldn’t rust.”

He thrust at Adrian. The younger man tried to trap the odachi in his two blades, but the execution was clumsy. Genji avoided the trap easily.

“Even Hanzo looks at his old blade and he killed me with it.”

Adrian’s eyes widen. However he prepared himself for this fight, it couldn’t prepare him for that obvious truth.

“What have you done with these swords that shame you?”

Too late, Genji had brought his odachi up to lock Adrian’s sword in place, guard to tsuba again, and his hand closed around Adrian’s wrist. He jerked his visor into Adrian’s face. There was barely contained fear and rage in his eyes. Then Adrian twisted and kicked him away. 

“ _Shame_ them _?_ _They_ left me to die.”

There was a clatter as the swords fell. Adrian pushed past McCree for his balls of rope then stalked into the exercise room. There was the furious and steady thump of roped fists against the punching bag. 

McCree thoughtfully picked the weapons up and sheathed them in the abandoned saya.

“Ya know, weapons don’t leave people to die. People do.”

*

The thuds kept up the furious pace for half an hour. They slowed a bit after that, then Jack went in. The thumps and grunts were different as two bodies smacked across the padded floor.

Hana frowned around breakfast of pate and biscuits. “What are you guys doing to him?”

Jesse spun Peacekeeper and holstered her. “Just a li’l testin’, darlin’.”

Hana raised an incredulous brow. “ _ I _ could have told you he was a ball of anger.” She crunched into the tough biscuit and sipped her sweetened tea. 

“Yes, but now we know that he can also fight barehanded.” Genji also finally sheathed his odachi. There were scratches and nicks that the blade had picked up.

“Yep, kid’s good at bjj and he was wailing at the bag with muay thai.”

Hana rolled her eyes. “Meaning?”

“He’s good at unarmed combat. He could have disarmed me at anytime, but he let pride and anger blind him.” Genji sipped the green tea he got from the ration pack. It was acceptable.

“I thought you liked him.” Hana turned to Jesse.

“I do. I still wanna know the measure of a man when I work with him.”

The grunts and thumps ceased in the exercise room and Jack and Adrian limped out. They both got out bottles of water and poured isotonic powder into them. Jack jerked his thumb in Adrian’s direction.

“Don’t let him push you to the ground. He got me in a few binds. He’s been in the ring even if he won’t admit it.”

Genji looked at the faintly smiling Adrian. “Ah, yes. Less than legal fightclubs.”

Adrian continued to smile faintly as he turned to Genji. Damn. The mask was already up. “Yes. But now, I need to go over last night’s findings. After a shower. Excuse me.” He wandered away to his bags.

Everyone wandered away as well. Jesse sorted out the papers and notes from the infiltration, Jack went to get ready for his recon with Ana. Hana stayed where she was, finishing her breakfast and making frustrated noises at her handheld unit and Genji stayed beside her looking over local news reports. 

He watched from the corner of his eyes as Adrian marched past to the shower, his arms full of clothes, armour, weapons and a bag of toiletries. He snagged a chair on the way in. Genji shook his head. Adrian was out in half an hour, fully dressed in a light-grey suit. He was carrying only his wet towel, his empty suit bag, his dirty workout clothes and that damn toiletries bag. 

Genji was almost convinced that the blond assassin was a parody of himself. He continued his discreet surveillance of the assassin as Adrian returned from dumping his used gear in the sleeping area and settled himself at the communal table. He had with him the satchel of tablets that McCree had brought with him. These he stacked in front of him. Then he caught the flash drive that McCree suddenly threw at him. The cowboy winked. Adrian looked insulted. 

“That was rude.”

“Nah, it’s the images of your apartment, but seeing the interior decoration, I reckon I know why you’d think it's rude.”

“My mother designed the interior.” Adrian raised a brow. “I’d be happy to convey your thoughts to her.”

“Aw. Don’t do that. Hanzo told me she was a scary lady.”

“He would not. He would have said something like… ‘lady worthy of extreme respect’.” Adrian plugged the drive into his own personal tablet and popped up the holographic projection display. “Which she is.”

Jesse chuckled, sitting himself down with his own work, sorting through the papers and tablets that Hanzo had left behind. 

Genji was amused that Adrian had chosen to ignore their earlier exchange.

Hana slumped in her chair as she frowned at her game.

The morning passed. The warehouse grew warm in the summer heat. Jack and Ana came back with a large industrial fan and bags of fruit and fresh produce. Adrian kept his suit jacket on, though both he and McCree were developing glazed looks. Hana was draped over Adrian’s back as he ran through the images for the fifth time. The young MEKA pilot poked him in the face. 

“Opppaaaa, take me out to lunch.”

“Little sister, I need to figure this out.”

“You need a break.”

“I’ve only been at this for…” Adrian checked the time. “Five hours.” He set his tablet down and rubbed his face. 

“Go on, you two. Git.” McCree settled back, fumbling for a cigarrillo and his lighter. “You ain’t gonna find anything with a tired brain.”

Adrian sighed. “All right. One hour.”

“Annnddd you’re leaving work here.” 

“Oh, come on.”

Hana tightened her arms about Adrian’s neck. He snorted. “Go get changed.”

“Let me borrow your watch.”

Adrian blinked at her and Genji shook his head. That was bratty even for Hana. Adrian complied, slipping the heavy silver bracelet off his wrist, and Hana skipped away with a little whoop. Adrian stood, cracking his back. He went to pick up the pieces of the Storm Bow. Genji examined his slow frown as Jesse watched on with some interest.

“Whatcha thinking, Andy?”

Adrian shuddered. “Please, I’d rather you call me by name or just ‘Kid’.”

McCree grinned widely. “Hanzo said you’d hate to be called a kid.”

“Hanzo-san called me ‘boy’ for a year. I prefer ‘kid’, thank you.” Adrian paused as Jesse chuckled. “This is deliberately broken. The stress marks are different if the bow failed in combat.”

“Yep, I thought so.”

“And do you know who broke it?” Genji watched the assassin very carefully.

Adrian shook his head. “Not a clue.” 

He looked sincere. Genji didn’t believe him for a second. He kept his eyes on the blond man as he went into the storage room and extracted two cases and dragged out yet another folding table. Jesse went over to help with the table and then opened one of the cases. Genji noticed that they both had identical logos on the front, a stylised wolf symbol and the letters LW&C Inc. McCree whistled.

“Nice bow.”

“Bows.” Adrian opened the other case. “Lighting and Thunder. Lightning has a draw weight of sixty pounds. Thunder has a draw weight of a hundred. Storm Bow fits the median at eighty. Sensei was ambitious when he had Thunder Bow made.” The bow Adrian pulled out made the Storm Bow look like a slender conductor's wand. He examined the string then inserted his leg between string and bow and braced it against his legs before bending the bow to string it. It took the slender man some effort to bring the looped string to the notch. 

“Impressive. And Hanzo never brought this bow to battle?” Genji reached for the Thunder Bow.

“I didn’t say that, but even Hanzo-san has limits.” Adrian gave it to him, his hand reaching next for Lighting Bow. “This model he used for several years before retiring her for the Storm Bow model.” Adrian strung the bow easily. “I’ll put in an order for several more Storm Bow models to be made,” he murmured as he set Lighting down. He lifted his head. “Is that girl changed yet?”

Ana smiled from from where she was cleaning her rifle. “I had thought a young man of your calibre would know that you cannot hurry a lady.” 

Adrian made a dismissive sound. “There is dressing for an evening out, and dressing for lunch at a bistro.”

Ana sniffed. “There is little difference. And make sure she returns your watch. Young ladies should not think it’s right to steal their friend’s belongings.”

“She’s welcome to it.” Adrian pulled on his gloves and tested the Lighting Bow as Genji did the same to the Thunder Bow. Despite the fact that the Lighting Bow had a lighter draw weight, Genji knew that a sixty pound bow was not a lightweight. Adrian drew it easily, the bow in his right hand, before easing the tension down. He set Lighting back on the table and gestured wordlessly for Thunder. Genji had struggled to draw the bigger bow.. Adrian struggled slightly less.

“Good. They won’t break if he needs them.” He set the bow down. Adrian scowled at the direction of the sleeping area where Hana had still not appeared in the doorway arch. He muttered under his breath but went to the storeroom to pull out what sounded like a crate of arrows. He set it down on the ground beside the bows and checked his bare wrist for the time.

“I am leaving without you,  _ mon petit chou _ ,” he yelled, grabbing the keys to the blue Porsche. 

“Cool your horses, I’m already here.” Hana was in the driver’s seat of the convertible, her feet on the dashboard. She was wearing an army jacket in khaki green and sunglasses.Both were too large for her.

Adrian snorted. “My jacket, my shades.” He reached down, picked her up, and tossed her into the passenger seat. “What next, my name and life?”

“Aigoo! Oppa is so mean.” 

“Oppa will toss you in the sea.”

“Don’t let her bully you.” 

Adrian waved at Ana as he backed out at speed.

Genji didn’t even need to look at Jack to see the silent signal to follow them.

*

Adrian and Hana had lunch near his apartment. Genji watched them from a nearby building, his flexible body easily hiding against the silhouette of the roof. He was wearing his hoodie again, just incase someone saw him. This was harder than normal considering it was bright daylight in the middle of summer. Adrian and Hana were sharing a bottle of chilled wine and were dining on salad and bread. 

His comm chimed, and he turned his head to answer it. “This is Genji.”

“Genji, where’s Everard and Song?” Jack’s voice was urgent, biting.

“They are having lunch.”

“We just broke into the encryption on Everard’s tablet. They were sending messages all morning. They’re planning something. McCree just checked all the vehicles here. They’ve been sabotaged. Everard gave Hana a damn stealth field generator and he played a damn shell game with us.”

Genji looked over the roof again. Adrian and Hana were gone. He could see the blue Porsche racing down the street.

“Genji?”

“They’ve gone. I’m in pursuit.” One of the hovercyles they used last night was still where they left it. Genji raced to it. It wasn’t far, and he hopped on as soon as he landed in the alley. He sped North up the Rue de la République where he last saw Adrian drive down. He thought he saw a glimpse of cobalt blue down the street and he sped up. 

They were headed out of the city.

“Genji, report.”

“I’m trailing them. I won’t let them out of my sight.”

“Keep us updated. Everard’s weapons; the guns, rifle and even the damn swords are missing.”

Something like cold fury clutched Genji’s heart. They had been played and now the wretch had Hana. 

Adrian was going to pay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, news!
> 
> EW has been completed and I'm now working on the prequel/sequel. The story will go on! Updates will increase depending on how quickly I get a buffer down on the prequel/sequel, Riddle of Steel. 
> 
> Glad y'all are still having fun!
> 
> Next Chapter:  
> Making the Cut
> 
> Car chases, and motives revealed!


	9. Making the Cut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrian has a plan, but it's pretty bullshit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to [evanelric](http://archiveofourown.org/users/evanelric) for the beta!

Adrian drove like a demon. He was out of the city and on the A55 before Genji could catch up. The three-lane freeway opened up and Adrian gunned the Porsche as fast it could go. It was not difficult for Genji to keep up on his hovercycle, especially so since Adrian was making not any effort to actually lose him. 

Genji figured they knew he was tailing them when Hana turned and gave a cheery wave.

Enough of this idiocy. He called her phone.

“Hey, Genji! I’d like to talk, but Adrian is detailing our plan and I need to listen to his bullshit.”

“It is not bullshit,” came Adrian’s muffled voice.

“It is so bullshit.”

“Where are you going with him?”

“Oh! We’re going to rescue Hanzo.”

That something in his heart that was jealous of Adrian uncurled like a jagged flower. “Hana, he’s lured you out here on your own. Don’t trust him.”

Hana made a rude noise. “I’m not by myself, though. You’re here. If we brought the whole team, we’d risk stealth. Three people can go under the radar much easier than six. You know that. We figured that either you or Jesse would be sent to tail us to lunch. I was hoping Jesse would come. He can handle the rifle, but with you along, we got that stealth element. Adrian says you need to wear his watch. It’s a stealth field generator, you know.”

“Hana, you are not making any sense.”

“That’s because I’m in the middle of the brief. Duh. Just follow us and I’ll tell you about it when we get there. Bye!” She hung up.

Genji made a frustrated sound. He followed them up the freeway then as they travelled off it, moving first through an industrial area, then a residential suburb, and finally, as the roads grew narrower, into the hills. 

His communicator chimed, and he answered.

“Genji, it’s Ana. Are you expecting trouble? We went through Adrian’s bags. He left his armour behind. It’s all neatly hidden in one of his suit bags.”

Genji started to develop a sinking feeling, that jagged flower of jealousy wilting and dying. 

“Ana, you speak French. What does,” Genji paused, struggling with the word. “La chee-nuuu-aa mean?”

“ _ Le chinois _ ? Chinese person. It’s used as a catch-all term for all East Asians.”

Genji haunched over the handlebars. “Then I think Hanzo hired those men to kidnap Adrian. Ana, I have a bad feeling. I think that you should prepare the safe house for an attack.”

“Understood.”

“I will brief you as soon as I know more.”

“Stay safe. Ana out.”

A street sign said  _ Route de Niolan _ as Genji passed it. There was scrub on either side of the road, and limestone deposits on the hills. Adrian pulled to a stop on the side and got out. Genji slowed and braked some meters behind. He watched the younger man warily as he nodded at Genji. Hana slid into the driver’s seat, talking in a hushed tone to him. Adrian shook his head as he gathered the white and red sword set. The assassin didn’t bother with the obi this time, instead tucking the wakizashi into his belt and held the katana sheathed in his hands. Adrian bent and slid his shades over Hana’s eyes, kissing her on the head. It was disturbingly like a goodbye. Genji watched as he walked into the hills, fixing a set of earbuds in place. 

Hana watched him, then gestured at Genji to get in the car with her. Genji complied, but moved to the driver’s side and prodded Hana until she moved over again. She huffed and moved, pointing down the road as Genji got in, pushing her shades up on her head.

“Drive. Okay, here’s the gameplay. Adrian’s going the rest of the way on foot, we’re taking the car and finding a good spot for me to set up the rifle, then you gotta go and back him up in close combat.”

Genji watched in the rearview as Adrian dropped to his knee, resting on the sword. He slowly rose, his figure growing small as the car moved further away.

“What’s he doing?”

“Adrian?” Genji’s growing dread was not helped by the false cheer in Hana’s voice. “Oh, he’s going to ritually kill himself to rescue Hanzo.”

Genji slammed on the brakes.

Hana grabbed his arm before he jumped out to run after the idiot. 

“But that’s why we’re here! So we can stop Adrian and rescue the both of them!” 

“You had better explain.” Genji looked at Hana, noticing for the first time her tear-stained eyes. 

“Drive, please. We don’t have much time.” Genji complied. 

“Alright. Here’s the thing. Adrian was able to pick up a message from the clues in the photos of the apartment interior. The message read ‘come alone, your life for Hanzo’s, you are required to correct your past mistake.’ Seeing as the swords were dropped on his bed, Adrian figured that meant performing seppuku. Correctly, this time.”

“Correctly. This time.” Genji felt a growing sense of horror from the idea that Adrian had gone through hara kiri  _ before  _ and was going to go through it  _ again. _

“Yeah. He’s really scared. He really doesn’t want to go through with it, but, you know, he will.” Hana shrugged, sadly. “He figured that Hanzo organised for him to be drugged and kept away before Hanzo himself was captured, ya know.”

“And just who has Hanzo?”

“Adrian’s dad. He sounds really nasty from what Adrian told me. Anyway, here’s the plan. We need to get me to a nice vantage point where I can provide sniper cover and when things really go south, I’m the getaway driver. You’ll have Adrian’s watch and be sneaking around. When Hanzo gets free, you’ll give him his bow.” Hana jerked her thumb to the back seat. “You can string a bow, right?”

“It has been a while but I remember.”

“All right. Here’s what the place looks like. Adrian’s only been here once, real touristy spot, you know, and there’s lots of images on the net.” Hana began describing the area. She painted a picture of a two hundred year old ruined fort that overlooked a blue sea. It was surrounded by scrubby hills that were littered with rocky outcrops.

Hana took his hand and slipped Adrian’s watch on his wrist. “There’s enough charge for seven minutes of stealth. Adrian said it may blow up if if the battery drains, but he’s not too sure. So be careful!” 

“I am full of confidence in this plan.”

They drove through a small residential area. Hana tapped the button for the canopy, but the blue Porsche still attracted some attention. 

“We’re making good time. We’ll be in place before Adrian arrives.” They drove out of the town and into the winding roads around the hills. Hana kept careful watch on the GPS on her phone and finally indicated that Genji stop. “This looks good!” She hopped out, opened the back door and shoved a case at Genji. There was a LW&C Inc. logo on it, like many of the crates in the warehouse. He opened it, expecting maybe a Lighting or Thunder bow. He stared at the Storm Bow model. 

“And again I do not know whether to hit him or congratulate him for an excellent play.”

Hana grinned at him. “Adrian never said he didn’t have a spare model about.”

“His shell games are beginning to annoy me.”

“Don’t get too tired of them just yet. We’re in the big one. He’s hoping that his father will rely on his total obedience and not even  _ think  _ to expect us.” Hana popped a strip of gum in her mouth as Genji strung the Storm Bow. He pushed one end against the side of the car in the Japanese style, unlike Adrian, who had used the Western technique. He bent the bow easily to slide the string up to the notch and reached into the car to grab the bundle of arrows and quiver. Hana had already pulled out Adrian’s rifle. Up close, Genji recognised it as a SIG SG variant with a sniper kit and a massive laser scope. Not that heavy, but not something that Hana could carry for very long. Hana handed the rifle over to him and she buckled on her hip holster.

She smiled brightly up at him. “We got this!”

Genji had only one response to that brittle enthusiasm. “ _ Yoshi! _ Let’s go!”

*

Genji spied out from his little hiding spot. He had given Ana a brief update on their positions and had thoughtfully left out the details of Adrian’s  _ idiot  _ plan. It turned out that the safe house made a very nice fortress when needed to be. He hoped they wouldn’t need it.

The enemy had gathered. They had started to arrive ten minutes ago, none too subtly clearing off any tourists. They were all black suits and menacing airs, not the usual attire of the casual tourist. “Hana, what do you see?”

“Adrian’s not there yet, but I see Hanzo. There’s ten random gorillas in suits.” 

“Actual gorillas?” A valid question considering who Overwatch’s current leader was.

“Oh like, no. Big dudes with no necks. They all got guns. There’s another guy in a creepy mask. Think that’s Adrian’s dad, he’s got Hanzo kneeling on the ground.”

“They’re fifteen minutes early.”

“Oh. I was wrong. Adrian’s already here. He’s about three hundred meters to your two o’clock.”

“I don’t see…” Genji paused. “I hate him.”

“No, you don’t.”

“No one should be able to blend into the landscape in a suit.”

“Grey suit, grey rocks.” Genji could hear the shrug. “Looks like it’s go time. He’s getting up.”

Genji flexed his hand, shuriken appearing between his fingers, and waited.

*

Hanzo felt the cold press of the gun to his temple. His legs were folded under him as he sat in seiza. The waves crashed gently on the nearby shore behind him. It was a lovely day with a bright blue sky and an equally blue sea beneath it. 

If today was the day he would die, then it was a nice day at least.

“He will not come,” Hanzo said, confidently. “I have arranged matters so that he will be unable to attend this meeting. You should shoot me now.”

The Gentleman chuckled, a wet sound. Richard St. James had changed a great deal from when they first met. 

For one, he was alive then.

Now no amount of costly cologne could mask the sickly-sweet smell of rot and death.

“You may be his teacher, Sensei Shimada, but I am his father. My son will come because he is honourable. He will come because he is loyal. He will come because your life is at stake. Richie has has mother’s sentimentality.”

Hanzo clenched his hands in his lap, hoping that the Gentleman was wrong. If he was a monster when his body was alive, then death has only stripped away all veneers of humanity and civility. His suit was of excellent quality, but it hung strangely off his body. The shirt was once white, but was now stained and stuck to the wet decaying skin. Hanzo was thankful that the Gentleman was still vain enough to wear a mask. Then again, perhaps he couldn’t take it off seeing there was a broken arrow pinning the mask into place through the forehead. 

Hanzo would be left with few regrets if he could keep Adrian from this monster for one more day. 

Perhaps it would be nice to see where things with Jesse went. It would have been good to fully reconcile with Genji, but they were on the road at least. Hanzo could be happy with how his life had progressed in the last few months.

He closed his eyes.

He was at peace.

It broke soon after. 

The Gentleman chuckled. His hired guns thumbed the safeties of their guns. There was the crunching of gravel as someone approached the ruins. “I know my son.” Satisfaction dripped from his words.

Hanzo opened his eyes. “Adrian, no.” 

Adrian stepped through the circle of suited goons with the barest of glances. Adrian didn’t look at him. He stopped ten feet away from his father and teacher, his hands neatly clasped around his sheathed katana. He did not look surprised at the condition his father was in. In fact, he looked like nothing at all. His face was schooled and his eyes guarded for all that he was not wearing his vanity glasses. He looked only at the shell of his father and when he spoke, his voice was steady.

“Well, sir. Here I am. Kindly let Shimada-sensei leave and I will take his place.”

That wet chuckle again, like the gurgle of a drowning man.

“So, Richie, you are here. You are very confident that I will release your sensei.”

“As you have said. An exchange.” Adrian held himself up, making a hard mask of his face, not wincing at the name he had abandoned. 

The Gentleman studied him. “The last time you were here, you cried and begged. Sensei, I must congratulate you. You have turned my son into a man under your tutelage.” 

“He has always been a man. You had only discarded him when he no longer followed your will.”  _ Genji. _ Hanzo brought his mind back to the present. He didn’t bother fighting his rising anger. 

The only reply he received was another gurgle of laughter. 

“Go then, Sensei Shimada. Your student is here to rescue you. Go, Okami-san, flee. Be the lone wolf again. Abandon your student to me.”

“Hanzo-san. Go.”

“A-” Hanzo cut himself short at the sharp glance Adrian threw at him.

“Go. This ends today. You will be safe from him if I finish this now.”

Again that wet, mocking chuckle from the Gentleman. One of the hired goons kicked at him and Hanzo stumbled to his feet. He got up and stood in front of Adrian.

“Sensei, this is a  _ family _ affair.” Hanzo gave Adrian’s face a searching look. “Thank you for all you have done for me. Go,” he said softly. His eyes flickered. “Go before they make you.”

“I’ll be back for you.”

Adrian closed his eyes briefly and nodded. Hanzo passed him, and passed the gathering of sneering guard. There were ten of them. He could take them all if he had a weapon. Hanzo clenched his fists at his sides. One of them said something under his breath and a ripple of mocking laughter ran through the group. He heard the click of a safety being switched.

Damn. Damn damn damn damn. 

Hanzo was running before the bullets bit at his heels. He was trying to reach the dip in the landscape, where he could take cover in the sudden drop, when he tripped into something unseen and was tackled. They rolled and came to a stop behind some rocks. Hanzo jerked his knee upwards but was blocked. 

“Brother! It is me.”

“Genji? What are you doing here?” He looked astonished as Genji dropped the stealth field. “You mean that you could actually work with Adrian?”

“Thank you for your confidence in me, brother.” He shoved the Storm Bow and quiver into Hanzo’s chest. “Your student led us on a merry chase.”

“Bah. The idiot. And now he’s going to get himself killed.” Hanzo shucked off his suit jacket and tore off his tie, clothes that he was wearing when he was caught.

“Hana is on the ridge providing cover. She’ll take the right. We have the rest of the field.”

Hanzo was muttering. “He got  _ Hana _ to come along? I’ll deal with Adrian later. The ten hired guns are baseline. Former soldiers and gang thugs. It’s the Gentleman that’s the problem. He’ll keep Adrian on target.” He pulled his quiver strap over his head and tested the limberness of this Storm Bow.

Genji tilted his head. “Who is…? Is that what Adrian’s father calls himself? I suddenly understand him a little more. Hana isn’t confident that she can take out the Gentleman without missing and hitting Adrian.”

“Tell her to focus on the guards. I’ll deal with the Gentleman and Adrian. Good luck, brother.”

“And you, brother.”

The Gentlemen’s men were not expecting resistance. They weren’t moving fast, and clearly intended to slowly gun Hanzo down. The appearance of an armed Hanzo and the quicksilver lethality of Genji turned the tide. The first three were down in an instant. An arrow to the chest, shuriken in the throat and some poor soul in the back suddenly sported an enormous hole in his head. 

Genji laughed. “Hana said she missed. She was aiming for the guy in front of him.”

Hanzo grunted. “Beginner’s luck.”

The rest of the Gentleman’s men ducked for cover. 

Hanzo looked beyond the line of human shields to see Adrian kneeling in the spot vacated by Hanzo. His jacket was off and he was unbuttoning his shirt. The animated corpse of his father looked on, the mask smiling with cruel approval. 

The spitting of gunfire caused Hanzo to duck down behind the rock pile, but Genji was out in the open, a blur of motion and streaks of green light. He drew fire away from Hanzo and disappeared around a curve of the hills but not before leaving two more men on the ground, shuriken in their throats.

Hanzo dove out from cover and loosed three arrows. Two found their marks as two men dropped to the ground, screaming. One of the remaining men received a sudden shot to the knee as a rifle shot cracked in the air. He, too, screamed as his leg collapsed, a bloom of red bursting out against the black of his suit.

The two that were left looked at each other, then at Hanzo and Genji.

They threw down their weapons and ran. 

Hanzo looked back at Adrian and the Gentleman. The Gentleman was laughing as he pointed a gun at Adrian’s head. The younger man’s shirt was fully off. Adrian had many scars on his torso, but it was the deep, ragged one on his abdomen that always caught Hanzo’s eye. It brought back memories of too much blood on a forest floor.

Adrian raised his wakizashi in both hands.

Hanzo started running. 

Genji was already on the move, but Genji didn’t know, couldn’t know, how to stop them. Genji was on a path straight at the Gentleman. Adrian’s eyes had taken on a glazed look that Hanzo was all too familiar with. Gun to the head or no, Adrian was going to plunge his wakizashi into his stomach. 

There was nothing else Hanzo could do. 

Too slow.

He skidded to a stop and drew his bow. 

He loosed it just as Genji raised his odachi to strike the Gentleman’s gun.

He loosed the arrow just as Adrian drove the blade into his belly. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys think the title was a _metaphorical_ eidolon?
> 
>  
> 
> Next Chapter:
> 
> Hanzo gets angry a lot.


	10. Honour Thy Teacher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo is rescued, and together the gang race back to the safe house to help prepare for the final battle. 
> 
> Also, the gang bicker a lot and Genji grows up a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, many thanks to [evanelric](http://archiveofourown.org/users/evanelric) for the beta!

Genji heard Adrian cry out. He was near him, driving off the Gentleman with blindingly quick attacks with his odachi. None of those hits landed. There was instead the gurgle of frustrated rage from the decaying corpse as he bent to avoid Genji’s attack.

“Do you think you’ve won? I know where your base is. I will end you all.” A low, guttural snarl before the Gentleman dove off the cliff. Genji ran to the edge and stopped. The Gentleman lay prone at the bottom of the cliff. He stayed that way for a moment. Then he moved. He picked himself off the ground and glared upwards before moving towards the water. There was a yacht not far from the shore and a boat was already being lowered into the sea. Hana chirped in his ear, already running for the car.

“We need to go,” Genji said, turning. He stopped, staring. Adrian had dropped his wakizashi only to clutch at his shoulder. There was an arrow in it. The blond man had a strange, glazed look to his eyes. Genji raced up, reaching him before Hanzo.

“You are an idiot.”

Adrian looked up blankly at him.

“ _Idiot!_ ” Hanzo reached them and jerked Adrian’s head up by the hair. He looked into his face and made a sound of disgust. “He put himself under. Genji, what’s our getaway plan?”

“Hana will be here soon.”

Hanzo grunted. “Grab his things. I’ll try and bring him back.” He snapped his fingers near Adrian’s ear. “Adrian. It’s Hanzo. It is time to come back.”

There was a slow blink.

Hanzo grumbled. “Adrian. Come back to us in five.” He counted five snaps. Adrian’s eyes sharpened. He took a breath and _looked_ at Hanzo.

“Goddamn, this hurts.”

“The hell was that?” Genji had his arms full of Adrian’s gear. “And we have to hurry, reinforcements are coming.”

Hanzo hauled Adrian up. “I’ll tell you later. There’s five more men on that boat, and about twenty more in his chateau. Where’s that car?”

“Take it easy, it’s Hana…” Adrian paused, leaning on Hanzo. “Can she drive a manual?”

“She can drive a tank!” Genji prodded the two of them along from behind. They were so _slow_.

“I am certain that Jesse taught her a few weeks ago.”

“St. McCree,” gasped Adrian. “Saves us again. Genji, can you find my multitool? It’s in my jacket and this arrow is a little annoying.”

“Hana was right, your plan was bullshit.” Genji rooted through Adrian’s pockets.

“It was not. Hanzo-san is alive, I’m alive. It was a good plan.”

“You were going to cut a smile in your stomach!” Genji glared a hole at Adrian’s back. He had an orange and yellow sunburst tattoo on his right shoulder, and a strange series of paired circular scars on Adrian’s back. A mystery for another time.

“I didn’t say it was _perfect_. And hey, the second cut would have been better seeing as I botched the first attempt.” Adrian laughed, but nothing could hide the little broken sob in the end.

“If you two _children_ are done.” Then. Softly. “Adrian, I need you to hold it in for a few more hours.”

“Trying, sir. Trying. It’s just I never expected my father to be a _fucking eidolon_.”

The Porsche jerked to a stop near them and the trio hurried on over.

“You guys! I think I need more practice!” Hana poked her head out of the window. “Hey, who’s that over the cliff?”

They turned.

“That’s the juggler from the chateau.”

Adrian swore. “Every king needs a Fool. We need to go.”

“Genji, watch our backs!”

Genji bundled his burden into Hanzo’s arms, and he turned, his hand on his wakizashi as the figure in red bounded down the hills at them. There were bright points in his hands. He heard Hanzo order Hana to the passenger seat as he shoved Adrian into the back.

The figure ran closer.

“Genji, we’re clear, get in!”

He moved as a bright glint swiped where he had been, pulling the car door with a slam as Hanzo drove off. Adrian was clutching his shoulder in the seat beside him, watching the slight male in red as he watched them. Genji didn’t like the smile on the Fool.

“Who was that?”

“Red Michael or Michel le Rouge. Variations of that name. They say he’s older than the Crusades. He’s not that sane.”

Genji looked at Adrian, who shrugged and winced. “Point. Who is, these days. Help me cut the shaft?” Adrian held out the multitool. It was folded into a pair of cutters.

“You were prepared.” Genji snatched the tool and pressed a hand to Adrian’s shoulder to steady the arrow as Adrian gripped the shaft.

“Of course I was. I don’t actually want to die.” He was breathing evenly, staring out the window. “Now.”

Snip. The arrowhead jerked a little and Adrian grunted, but the arrow shaft was now in Genji’s hand.

“Hana, my cabbage, do you still have my knife?”

“Your what?” She wrinkled her nose at him. “Cabbage? Ew.” But she plucked out Adrian’s butterfly knife from her pocket.

“Adrian, you are not cutting out that arrowhead in the car yourself,” Hanzo growled.

“Oh, come on, sir. It’s an hour until the safe house.”

“Put yourself under for thirty minutes. That’s the second time you’ve called me sir.”

Genji watched as Adrian grew pale. “ _Hai, sensei_. Thirty minutes.” The blond assassin settled himself comfortably in the cramped backseat and started an even breathing exercise. His head was slumped by the tenth breath but he never lost grip of the folded knife in his hand.

“What the hell is that?”

“Hypnotism,” said Hanzo, shortly. “It’s damn useful to just shut him up. What’s our situation?”

“What’s yours?” countered Genji.

Hanzo drew a breath. His blood pressure rose and his face grew red. “I am not compromised,” he snarled.

“That was not what I asked! You’ve been held captive for days! How are you?!”

“Oh my god, you two,” Hana cried.

Hanzo slowly exhaled. “I am fine. I have been treated well. The Gentleman is a civil... individual. Where am I driving to?”

“The safe house in Marseilles.” Hana popped a stick of gum in her mouth.

“Which one? There’s a few.”

Genji sighed. “The one with all the cars. The warehouse.”

“Ah.” A sigh of relief. “That particular property makes for a good fortress. Who else is here?”

“Jack, Ana and Jesse. Air evac is in two hours.”

Hanzo kept his eyes on the road. “Half an hour for the yacht to sail to the chateau, another half hour for the Gentleman to transport his men over. Or half an hour for his men to scramble and another half hour as they travel into the city where they’re met by the Gentleman. Either way, we will have an hour before they attack. They will be more heavily armed. Unlike Adrian, the Gentleman is not loathe to hide behind standard armaments. He has pulse weapons. Grenades. Man-portable rocket launchers.”

“I’ll relay that back to Jack,” said Hana, soberly.

“It sound like he was prepared for a war.” Genji prodded at the arrowhead in Adrian’s shoulder. The slumbering Adrian didn’t even flinch. “I can remove this while he’s out.”

“Do so. He was prepared for a war to take Adrian down. Check Adrian’s back pocket. He usually has a hip flask.” Genji complied and found a silver flask. “It’s scotch,” said Hanzo with certainty.

Genji liberally splashed the liquor over Adrian’s wound and on his knife then cut the flesh around the barbed arrowhead. Taking the multitool, he folded it into pliers and pulled out the arrowhead. It some effort. It was lodged pretty securely into the bone.

Adrian didn’t make a sound.

Hana wordlessly handed over Adrian’s shirt and Genji pressed it against the wound. Blood freely flowed, staining his fingers. Genji bunched the shirt even more, but it was a shallow wound and Hanzo had missed all major blood vessels.

Adrian woke when they drove out past the hills and villages and onto the freeway. He went from sleeping quietly to awake in the next minute. He let out a low sigh as he looked at his shoulder and licked his lips. “Pass the flask, please?” There was strain in his voice and Genji silently passed it over. Adrian took a sip, closing his eyes. Hana looked on, worried.

“Adrian?”

“It’s fine, sensei. It’s just a shock to wake up to. I can manage it.” Adrian secured the flask between his knees and held the pressure against his shoulder, letting Genji have his hand back. He let his head drop back against the seat as he started another breathing exercise.

Hanzo waited, adroitly navigating the high speeds of the French freeway. “Adrian, what are the chances that the Gentleman knows about the secret passages out of the warehouse?”

“Wait. Passages?” Hana glared at Adrian. “You only told us of the one.”

Adrian smiled without opening his eyes. “I never show all my cards, _mon petit chou._ ” Then his smile dropped. “The properties in Paris and Marseilles are the first that mother gave me. He likely knows about the passage to the sea; that is very old and dates to the war mid last century. The passages that lead off to the neighbouring property are new. It is very unlikely he knows of those since we dug those out ourselves.”

Hanzo grunted. “Hana, tell Morrison that he may expect trouble on two ends.”

“I believe that there is still some explosive material in the store that he may use... and there is always the deathtrap.”

Genji watched with interest as Hanzo stiffened. “ _You told me you got rid of it._ ” Hana leaned back from Hanzo.

“I did. I sent it down to the warehouse in Marseilles by truck. I didn’t drive it down.” Adrian continued to smile pleasantly.

“ _You unbearable brat!”_

Genji leaned over to Adrian. “That’s that red Ferrari, isn’t it? How fast does it go?”

“ _Genji!_ ”

“Whoa, chill, Hanzo. They’re tugging your strings. You are all idiots,” Hana announced.

Adrian levered his body towards Genji. “She goes like the wind. Her shell is paper thin and barely there. Light as a feather.”

“ _I will honestly kill the both of you_ ,” Hanzo growled. Genji could see his hands were gripping the wheel as if he wished he could throttle them.

“You mean before the car kills me, right?”

Hanzo went silent. The silence stretched out like the heat before a thunderstorm.

Adrian winced. He leaned back, and closed his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Hanzo remained quiet for a moment, fuming silently as he glared down the freeway.

“Is there a reason you brought the deathtrap up?”

“Mm. I never changed the original engine out.”

“That sounds significant,” said Genji.

“It is. Hana, tell Morrison to pop the hood on the Ferrari and see if he can rig a pulse reactor engine to explode.”

“Who does that?” Hana cried. “That’s the dumbest thing you can put into a car. It’s for MEKA tanks with defense matrixes and fusion cannons!”

“I did say it was dangerous.”

Hana made a gremlin noise of incredulity.

They were just entering the city limits when Ana updated them. The early warning perimeter had pinged.

“Tell Ana we’re coming in hot.” Hanzo grinned. “I need a good fight.”

It amused Genji that everyone reached for their weapons.

He wasn’t even mad that Adrian pulled up his trouser leg to reveal an ankle holster.

*

They ditched the car (with a collective sigh from everyone, it was a good little thing) a few blocks from the safe house. Hana did a quick patch on Adrian’s shoulder with the small first aid kit in the car. She and Hanzo taped his arm to his torso to restrict movement before slipping his jacket on him. Even Genji had to admit that Adrian’s colour wasn’t healthy-looking with the cold sweat he was developing, despite his sharp looking eyes. Hanzo took Adrian’s swords without a word, but Adrian still strapped his rifle to his back, professing his love for the weapon.

Forming forwards, Genji flanked, Hanzo took rear and Adrian and Hana moved from cover to cover. Together, they took out five outlying goons before slipping behind the empty building beside Adrian’s refuge. It was as Genji surmised the day before, a warehouse much like Adrian’s refuge.

They could hear the report of gunfire from half a block back.

“Genji and I will cover you from the roof. I want you and Hana to clear the door and hold it open for Genji and I.”

Adrian leaned against the wall and nodded. “Hand me my spare mag and gun before you go.”

Genji wished that they could all see his epic eyeroll as Hanzo bent and pulled out another pistol from Adrian’s other ankle holster and the spare magazine that came with it. He tucked the gun in Adrian’s waistband.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re over prepared?”

Adrian grinned. “McCree said the same thing last night. But then again, they’re always glad I have more weapons then I need.” The grin dropped. “See you on the other side.”

Genji and Hanzo scaled to the roof. Running to position, they rained shuriken and arrows down upon the advancing enemies. They were much like the Gentleman’s hired guns at the ruins earlier, only these were also armed with machine guns. The brothers Shimada still sent them running for cover, enough for Adrian and Hana to reach the safe house doors. Hana was pulled in, but Adrian stayed out, taking shots at likely targets. Hanzo took advantage of the coverfire that he provided and climbed down the building to usher Adrian inside. Genji merely leapt to the other roof and entered by the trapdoor.

Morrison, McCree and Ana had been busy while they were gone. They had gone through the rest of the crates in the storage room and laid them open. There were several assorted crates of guns, ammo and grenades, and at least two of medical supplies. They had even barricaded and nailed shut the door in the back that led to the passage to the sea.

Ana had moved quickly. Her eye was still sharp and had noticed Adrian’s injury. She had pulled him aside by the time Genji entered the building and was administering a biotic injection. The jacket was off and for the first time Genji could clearly see the thick scar that ran across the younger man’s abdomen. It was ragged, as if cut unevenly.

Genji grunted. “That is terrible knifework. Did you use a butter knife?” He meant it as a joke.

Adrian laughed. From the corner of his eye, Genji saw Hanzo look up from where he was briefing McCree and Morrison. “Close. A butter _fly_ knife. The one that you still have, I think.”

Genji pulled out the knife and flipped it open. It had a blade meant for stabbing and slashing, not carving through tough flesh. He looked back at Adrian, whose smile was more than a little uneven. He looked at Hanzo, who looked _concerned_ at Adrian.

“Nice knife. I’m keeping it.” Genji tucked it away and went to help Hana with her MEKA. He helped load her then watched as she produced a bag of corn chips. She grinned at him as he shook his head.

“No ‘Dew? I’m disappointed in you, Hana.”

“Hn! You can make me a sugary coffee if you’re that disappointed!”

Genji examined his hand, still slightly stained from Adrian’s impromptu surgery. “Not _that_ disappointed.”

She stuck her tongue out.

Morrison called them over, Hana’s MEKA thumping the ground as it walked.

“What Hanzo tells me,” said Morrison. “Is that we just survived the first wave. They did a headcount and figure there’s three to five more guards and Richard St. James and the juggler. Genji, you’ve fought St. James, what are his capabilities?”

“He is very quick and flexible. I was not able to land a blow.”

Adrian shifted, closing his eyes. He was dressed now, wearing a shirt and a flak vest, and had his arm in a sling.

“I don’t think that he feels much pain in his physical body.”

Jack grunted. “Everard, anything to add?”

“I’ve never fought an eidolon before. I don’t know what to expect.” He huffed softly. “But he was in life proficient in many firearms and edged weapons and in unarmed combat.”

Genji looked around, wondering if he were the only one ignorant of the term. He put his hand up. Adrian raised a brow. “Yes, Genji?”

“What is an eidolon?”

Adrian shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you how one was made. I never had much of an interest in esoteric arts but from what little I’ve read says that an eidolon is a spirit that resembles a living person. I know it _not quite_ describes our foe, but it works. Less brainless zombie and more coherent corpse. Such as father dearest.”

Things were clearer. There were such creatures in the stories that his own father had told him and Hanzo.

“Dead or no, he sounds like someone you challenge at range.” Jesse stuck his thumbs in his belt.

“And you would want to, regardless. It is, however, the Fool that concerns me. I had thought him a simple juggler.”

Adrian shook his head. “I have only heard of him. He cannot be bought but he serves loyally. The rumour I have heard is that he’s immortal and cannot die. I guess we shoot him and see. I have heard that a spray of bullets will bring him down. I suggest that if that happens, we vacate the area immediately.”

Jack checked the time. “Air evac in forty-five minutes. Pack what you need and leave everything else behind.”

Everyone scattered. Genji only noticed Hanzo stayed to talk to Adrian when their voices began to raise. They weren’t loud, but were insistent in their tones.

“You were going to die for me. For me!” Genji saw Adrian get into Hanzo’s face. “How dare you. I’m not worth that much.” Genji couldn’t see Hanzo’s face but he saw his brother’s body stiffen.

“Adrian Orion Everard, I made a promise to you five years ago that I would protect you from that monster. I intend to keep that promise whether it suits you or not!”

Adrian reeled back as if slapped. He gave Hanzo a helpless look, his shoulders drooping. He took two large steps back, and bowed low from the waist, deep and respectful. Hanzo returned the bow, not as deep, but the respect was in the lines of his back.

“Thank you for keeping your promise, sensei. A student could not ask for better care.”

“Thank you for the consideration of my life, Adrian-san. A teacher could not ask for more.”

They rose from their bows.

“Pack the tablets and some clothes and find a weapon you can use.”

Adrian nodded and left for the sleeping area. Genji turned away before he was caught eavesdropping again.

They still weren’t quite ready when the rocket hit and the heavy metal doors exploded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrian changed his name from his birthname around four years ago. He’s hoping Hanzo doesn’t know who “Orion” is in mythology and in the Western constellation. Buddy, Hanzo’s not stupid. He knows. 
> 
> I only just discovered this song last week, but [Let's Face It I'm Cute](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5LQ-r0KFGQ) by 11 Acorn Lane is totally Adrian's theme song.


	11. Endtimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the rocket attack signalling the final assault, Genji and the team try to last long enough for evac.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to the ever patient and ever keen evanelric for the beta.

  
  


The explosion was a flash of fire and thunder. 

Genji was thrown by the blast. He lay on the ground, blinking, his head full of sound. He recovered, shook his head and saw Hana aiming her fusion cannons at a figure in red motley. The Fool, Michel le Rogue. He had entered the building when the missile burst open the doors. He was too quick for her, bouncing over the MEKA and landing behind her. Genji could now see he looked like a young man, slight and a little shorter than himself, a thick thatch of red hair on his head. There were knives in his hand. 

“Prithee, sirs, my master only bids that you return his son to him.”

Genji didn’t hesitate. Shuriken flew at Michel but he tumbled out of the way with agility that should have been impossible for a human. Genji could have done it but only because of his enhanced body. 

“Tell your master that he will not get-” Genji had to stop mid-sentence to avoid a faceful of knives. How was the Fool so quick?

“Cease your prattling, knight! My master’s request is reasonable. The Young Gentleman’s return is demanded!”

“Nothing doing.” Jack sat up from where the blast had thrown him. He fired a series of pulse blasts. They all missed when the Fool dodged behind the van. 

Then they all heard it. A  _ pfft _ of a dart-gun and a thud of a body falling on a cement floor. 

“Enemy down,” Ana called out. “Immobilising him now.”

“Hana, the door!” 

The pink MEKA was already looking out of the mess of twisted metal and into the street. “Looks like that guy was the only one.” 

“Where’s the shooter?”

“Where’s Adrian?” 

Genji swung his head towards Hanzo. His brother was a sight with dust in his hair, and a nocked arrow in his bow. 

“Didn’t he go to pack?”

“Christ!” Hanzo’s student stumbled into the room, wincing. He clutched his left ear, a satchel over his shoulder. “That blast shorted out my implant. We should move before they load up another!”

“Implant! That’s how you could hear me.” Genji remembered how Adrian had heard his whisper soft movements the night before.

Adrian blinked at him. “What?”

Hanzo shook his head. “He’s right. We need to move.” He signed the same at Adrian in rough military hand signals. Adrian responded by pointing back at the sleeping area and at the exercise room. 

“Where does that tunnel lead?” 

“Three properties down.”

Morrison nodded. “Hana, guard our rear, Hanzo, take lead, you know the route. Everyone else, we’re moving out.”

“And this young man?” Ana indicated the unconscious Michel.

“Leave him. His master will pick him up momentarily.” Hanzo point  Adrian towards the exercise room. The blond man jogged to obey, but stopped by to grab a P90 and some spare mags and grenades. He joined Hanzo and they pulled up the exercise mats to reveal a trapdoor in the ground. They pulled it up together and after a short discussion, Adrian went through first.

“Hana, when we’re through, get out of here in your MEKA.”

“What? Leave you?”

“It’s the only way. Your drone can’t fit into the trap door. Head out towards the sea, we’ll meet at the pick up point.”

“I’ll go with her,” said Genji.

Behind them, Ana dropped down the trapdoor, followed by McCree. Morrison nodded. “Stay safe.” He followed them, pulling the trapdoor shut behind him.

Genji banged on the side of the MEKA. “They’re clear, go!” 

Hana angled her MEKA upwards and blasted away. Genji was quick to follow, leaping high across the street then scaling the wall of the opposite building following Hana. The sounds of civilian authorities could be heard and they were getting closer. Genji cleared the wall and sped across the roof when Hana disappeared over the edge.

The sound of firearms only made him increase his speed. He vaulted over the edge and time seem to suspend for him. 

Hana was in the street below, her bubblegum pink MEKA facing five armed men, one of whom had a rocket launcher pointed at her.

Genji could tell she was grinning, though, because her shout “I play to win!” came across the comm like a battlecry. 

The Gentleman’s men were not prepared to take on a KSDF MEKA headon. 

Genji thought his heart would burst from pride at how easily Hana took out the hired guns. She aimed her fusion cannons low at their legs and they fell, screaming. Genji landed on a ledge over on the opposite building. Hana turned, spotted him and raised her thumb at him, grinning. 

She didn’t see the man with the rocket launcher. Genji did, but he was too far away. The projectile slammed into the side of the MEKA, making the pink drone stumble. Hana cried out over the comm. Questions came in from the others, but Genji tuned them out. He launched upwards, his hand suddenly full of shuriken. They flung into the air and caught the man with the rocket launcher in the throat. Genji ignored him and the screams of his associates as he landed beside Hana. The side of the MEKA was buckled in, but the metal plates weren’t broken. There were scorch marks and burns but the mech was otherwise in good condition. 

It was Hana that held Genji’s concern. Her face was pinched and pale and peering in, Genji could see why. The buckled side of the MEKA had trapped her leg. 

“I can’t get out,” she said, soft as a whisper.

“Can you still move the mech?” She nodded. “Let us go. We will get you out when we meet up with the others.”

Genji watched her face carefully for signs of stress or pain but there was no difference in her expression as she started to move the MEKA. The drone was a little lopsided and moved a bit strangely, but it still remained upright and mobile.

“How are your boosters? Can you make it over the building?”

Hana shook her head. “I don’t know but I don’t want to risk it.” 

Genji nodded. He squashed down his instinct to scout ahead and instead stayed by Hana’s side, guiding her into alleys. 

“Agent D.Va encountered hostiles,” he updated the team. “They were dispatched but one was still able to retaliate with a rocket launcher. Agent D.Va is injured but the MEKA is still mobile. Advancing on the meeting point now.”

“Acknowledged,” Jack replied. 

They were within running distance ofthe pick up point when Genji gestured to Hana to lie low and hidden behind a stone shack. The transport was still fifteen minutes out. It had been slow going avoiding visual detection by the locals and the authorities.

It was now close to evening. The sun was dipping lower towards the horizon. Genji waited, his hand around Hana’s. 

Where was the rest of the team? 

He tapped his comm.

“Morrison, check in.”

Genji tried again.

“Hanzo, come in. Ana, are you there?”

Static. He exchanged a glance with his younger team member. Hana gave him a tight smile. 

“Go look for them, I got snacks and guns.” She grinned wanly.

“Comm the transport and confirm arrival.” Articulate metal fingers squeezed small human ones. He was off into the air. 

Genji leapt from rooftop to rooftop, using the advantage of higher ground to spy for signs of his teammates. 

Climbing over a corner not far from where he left Hana, he got what he was looking for. A flicker of fabric caught his eye and he inched over the roof to peer over the edge. His shuriken flexed into his hand at what he saw.

Jack and Ana were out cold, as was Adrian. The white and red handled wakizashi had been stabbed through Adrian’s leg. McCree was still conscious, but barely. The Gentleman had wrapped his gloved hand around McCree’s throat and was squeezing slowly.

Hanzo was nowhere to be seen. Genji’s heart clenched. 

He stood and flung out the shuriken. All three connected with the eidolon’s decaying flesh. The Gentleman looked up and around, then straight at him. 

“Accursed omnic! You will pay for ruining my suit!” He didn’t notice McCree reaching down for Peacekeeper. Six shots rang out at point blank, ruining more than his suit as viscous dark liquid oozed from the wounds. The eidolon let out a cry of rage and flung the cowboy away. 

“This was Armani, you cur!” 

Jesse groaned as he hit the wall, Peacekeeper flying from his hand. 

The Gentleman produced a gun from a shoulder holster. “I will kill you. I will kill this omnic, and then I will ensure my son takes a long time to die.”

_ But where was Hanzo? _

Genji looked around, and still saw no sign of his brother. 

Too bad.

Genji needed no help to take this monster down by himself. His hand closed around the hilt of his wakizashi. “You will need to go through me first.”

A bubble of a laugh. “With pleasure.” He shot at Genji.

The wakizashi swung out and deflected the shots right back at the Gentleman. One cracked the grinning porcelain mask. A corner broke off, revealing the putrescent grey skin beneath. That laugh again. “Nicely played, omnic, but I have more shots.” The gun raised again, and Genji was dodging and diving out of the way and into cover up and over the roof. Genji crouched low on the other side; his vents popped and steam released. The shots had been quick but wild, and had caused Genji to push his speed to the limit. Emotions ran high in the rotting parody of a man and Genji could hear him chuckle as he reloaded his pistol.  “Nevermind,” he heard the Gentleman say. “I can deal with your friends here first.”

“Then you should know something, Father.” Adrian voice. It was weak and raspy. Genji looked over the roof top. Adrian was trying to drag himself into a sitting position with one good leg and his elbow. The fingers of his right hand stuck out at unnatural angles. 

“What is that, my son?” The tone the Gentleman used was too sweet and full of indulgence. 

“I abjur you, sir.” 

The only sound that came from the Gentleman was his dark, liquified insides seeping out through his bullet holes.

“I abjur you and yours. I am no longer Richard St. James, your son and heir. I changed my name to Adrian. I die an Everard. I  _ win, _ sir. Whatever else you do, I  _ win. _ Do what you will. I die my mother’s son, not yours.” 

The monster screamed. He ripped away the mask that was nailed to his head. The back of his head was to Genji, so he couldn’t see the nightmare Adrian saw, but the younger man didn’t recoil from the sight. He braced himself forward, lips stretched in a grin. 

The gun was brought up to bear at Adrian’s head.

Genji launched himself off the roof.

“ _ Ryujin no ken o kurae!”  _ The battlecry rang out and his dragon swirled over his blade. The pistol spat fire once, but Genji brought his sword down to slice the soft arm off. It dropped to the ground with liquid plop.

_ “ _ _ Ryū  _ _ ga waga teki o kurau!”  _

The Gentleman turned around and twin blue dragons roared as they twisted towards him with the force of an incoming train. 

Genji didn’t have time to move out of the way. He watched as Hanzo’s dragons tore up the Gentleman, whittling down the wasted flesh and bone, burning what was left and turning the creature into ash. 

He didn’t even have time to scream.

Genji did. He was right there, and then he was  _ there _ in Shimada Castle. He didn’t have time to summon his own dragon and the blue dragons came for him.  _ He was not ready _ . He sank to his knees, holding his sword out as the dragons flew around him.  _ They burned _ like they burned  _ before _ . 

The blazing eternal and never ending blue.

Genji screamed until there was nothing left.

Then the dragons passed. 

Genji collapsed to his knees, then to his back. 

The sky was was darkening overhead.

“Genji, Genji. Are you okay?”

He looked over and saw Adrian lifting himself on his elbow. The damn wakizashi was still in his leg, and blood was blooming in his other shoulder.

“I... no.” His voice sounded raw to his ears. “I’m ready for this damn holiday to be over.”

Adrian wheezed out something like a chuckle. “It’s the worst French holiday I’ve ever had.”

That was how Hanzo found them both, laughing through their tears. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOSH!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's read and enjoyed, left a kudos, or a comment or squealed at me on McHanzo Discord. Y'all are perf. 
> 
> Fun fact, this is the first complete multichap fic I've ever done and I'm impressed that I actually kept up with updates and finished this fic. 
> 
> So I'm going to celebrate by announcing that the sequel to EW, Riddle of Steel, is in the works.
> 
> I'm excited.
> 
> When I first started with EW, I kept to the minimum chapter length of 3k words. I'm so proud of keeping to this. I've been building a buffer of RoS chapters, and so far they're at least 6k a chapter.
> 
> It's gonna be a ride. 
> 
> There'll be a two week break before I post the first Riddle of Steel chapter. It's going to contain more Hanzo angst, sexy times, and baby assassins and mercenaries, and McCree's family. 
> 
> You heard me. 
> 
> But until then, there's going to be at least two fics from me. One, a stand alone called Hanzo, Denial is not a River in Egypt, and a second chapter of Cowboy Cares.
> 
> I like making Hanzo cry, okay?
> 
> Anyway, hope y'all continue to enjoy my crazies! <3


End file.
